It's Official!

A couple of weeks ago, Lauren took her first step towards owning her own "card"...

She signed up for her own library card!

She took her time signing the back of the card, trying very hard to keep her name on the line. We think she did a great job!


Now the whole family has library cards and can check out books. However, trying to keep track of what books are on what account is a whole other story.

Merry Christmas!

We hope everyone has a very
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

May the spirit of this holiday season
continue to bless you in the year ahead.

Love-
Mark, Karin, Kate and Lauren

Turkey Trot

Kate recently participated in her school's 2nd annual Turkey Trot, an event to raise money for the purchasing of Smart Boards for their classrooms. Each class made special turkey hats for the big race and had the opportunity to have a photo taken with the turkey himself.


The 2nd grade had to run 2 laps around the track. Here are some shots of Kate in full stride.

Happy 5th Birthday, Lauren!

Despite being over a week late, our birthday wishes for Lauren remain the same...

Happy 5th Birthday to a very special girl!

Thank you for always bringing a smile to our faces and brightening our days. You're beautiful both inside and out, and we couldn't imagine life without you. You are a true blessing to those around you and we wish you only the best life has to offer. May love and happiness continue to follow you each and every day.

We Love You!

The Cat and the Butterfly

Better late than never...

Our girls dressed up as a cat and a butterfly for Halloween this year. Despite the rain on Halloween night, the girls enjoyed trick-or-treating while sporting their costumes of choice.

I felt they were too cute not to post!

Soccer Season Coming to an End

Both girls have been playing soccer this season, with their final game this weekend. It appears we have a house-divided when it comes to positions. Kate prefers to play defense and "protect" the goal, i.e. less running, whereas Lauren seems to excel at offense. Lauren produced 4 goals in last weekend's game. I'm not sure how many she's aiming for this weekend.

This may be Kate's last season. She feels she needs to focus on jump roping in the spring to prepare for Skip It tryouts in the fall (her school's jump rope squad). We'll see what the future holds!

Here are some shots from last weekend's games.

Our final year of preschool...

Last week Lauren began her final year of preschool. Hard to believe that next year both girls will be at the same school...which equates to one drop-off and one pick-up!

Lauren goes to school four days a week, Monday through Thursday, this fall and then all five days after the first of the year. She enjoys her teachers and the kids in her class...not to mention the fact that I'm teaching right down the hall a couple of the days she's there.

Here's a photo of Lauren on her first day.

Happy Birthday, Kate!

Yesterday our precious Kate turned 7! Hard to believe how fast she is growing!

We are very proud of all you have accomplished in the past 7 years. You are a true blessing to our family and to all those whose lives you touch each day. Your loving, enthusiastic, and caring personality brings smiles to our faces and those around you! Thank you for being the very SPECIAL person you are.

We wish you all the best in the year ahead!

We Love You-
Mom, Dad and Lauren

School Days

Even though we are only 3 weeks from finishing the 1st quarter of the school year, I decided to post this on the blog for tradition's sake. (I realize I have been slacking on the blog posts, so the next few may be a little outdated. Nonetheless, I hope you all enjoy them anyway.)

Kate started the 2nd grade the beginning of July and is enjoying her teacher and class. The majority of her good friends are in her class which makes school that much better. Academically she is doing well and claims her favorite subjects are reading and math...sounds well-rounded to me.

Here are Kate's 'first day of school' photos through the years. It's amazing to see how quickly they grow!

Kindergarten (July 2009)


1st Grade (July 2010)


2nd Grade (July 2011)

Williamsburg and Busch Gardens

A week and a half ago, we took a trip to Williamsburg, VA with Rich and Carol (Grampy and Grammy) for a couple of days. On our arrival day, we had lunch in Colonial Williamsburg and then walked down the main street looking at the buildings, gardens, old trees, and people dressed in costume. Along the way, the girls enjoyed playing stick and hoop. (Kate even got creative and used the hoop as a hula hoop...probably not seen that often in those days.)

The next day we headed to Busch Gardens for a fun-filled day of riding rides, meeting Sesame Street characters, feasting at Oktoberfest in Germany, and enjoying a show here and there. Mark was even brave enough to take on the Griffon...a 90 degree drop for 210 feet!

At the end of our day, we tried on several hats before leaving the park. Not sure what started the hat frenzy, but we had a lot of fun in the process!

Here are a few highlights from our day.
Thanks for a great trip Grampy and Grammy!!

A Day at the Zoo

With Mark and Kate both tracked out until July, we decided to take advantage of the nice weather and our membership and head to the NC Zoo for the day. We figured out our last visit was the fall of 2008 prior to the zoo's renovations.

We began our day long journey in "North America" stopping to see the polar bears, harbor seals, otters, puffins, and much more, including this alligator and black bear.

The girls took a play break at the playground as well, scaling the spider web, sliding down the leave, and hanging out with Dad in what we believe is a pear.


After lunch at the junction stop, we ventured into "Africa" taking in the sights of safari animals. We were able to see among other things, the giraffes, zebras, reptiles, baboons, elephants, and the special attraction...the SWAMP GHOSTS (a.k.a. albino alligators)!!

We all enjoyed our day, but were happy to rest on the way home after walking the entire zoo. In fact, I believe it took Lauren no more than 5 minutes to fall asleep once the car was started! Hope you enjoy the pictures!

Flowering Progress

As many of you recall, we planted a garden a couple of months ago (see photo).

With a little water, some bird netting and plenty of sunshine, our garden has changed quite a bit.

We have already harvested 12 green beans! Not quite enough for a meal, but definitely tasty as a snack!

We have a couple of tomatoes and cucumbers on the vines as well as carrots, lettuce and peppers growing. Hopefully we'll be able to cut back on our produce purchases in the upcoming months...we'll keep you posted!

Flower Girls - Double Duty

Kate and Lauren were asked to be flower girls in two weddings this past May...5 days apart, one to the north and one to the south!

We traveled first to Harrisburg, PA for Mark's cousin's wedding. The girls did a wonderful job walking down the aisle and sitting quietly with the bridesmaids throughout the service.

At the reception (after quite a bit of coaxing), the girls gave in and hit the dance floor, requesting songs by Taio Cruz, Justin Bieber, and Taylor Swift. (Where have our little girls gone?!) Kate even scored a purple flower from the cake...perfect for her wedding role.

We returned home on a Sunday only to depart that Wednesday for my cousin's wedding in Kiawah, SC. This wedding was on the beach, posing a slight challenge with windy conditions, walking through sand in flip-flops and dropping rose petals at the same time. Yet, the girls once again were successful! (As you can see, the first picture was taken at our place, prior to the beach.)

How Does Our Garden Grow?

We'll find out soon enough!!

I spent the morning helping my Dad construct a raised bed garden on the side of our house. We've tried gardening in pots for the past two years and haven't been that successful. It was time to move up in the gardening world and plant straight into the ground!

Once the bed was assembled and the potting soil was in place, Lauren and I selected which vegetables to plant. If successful, our produce will consist of red and yellow tomatoes, yellow and green peppers, lettuce, carrots, cucumbers and green beans.

The girls helped dig the holes, plant the vegetables, place the seeds, and water the garden According to the seed packets, we should see results in 7-10 days. We'll keep you posted.

Our completed garden!

Thanks, Dad, for all of your help!!!!