The Next Mia Hamm?

Kate had her first soccer game this past weekend. This is her first season playing soccer and she seems to enjoy the game so far. We just have one minor problem...she doesn't see the importance of kicking the ball during the game. (She does kick her ball during practice.) She is more than happy to run with the pack, but is very polite and lets anyone around her kick the ball first! So, looks like we have a few things to learn about the game in the upcoming weeks.

She may not be the next Mia Hamm, but she sure looks cute in her soccer attire! (Photos courtesy of Ryan Gilmore Photography)

Tiny Dancer

Lauren completed her first round of dance classes a couple of weeks ago. She absolutely loved every minute of them! She ran down the long hallway to the room, patiently waited for me to slip on her ballet slippers and than ran to the circle to find her place of choice. Although she didn't always do exactly what the teacher was doing, she did create some of her own moves, trying to be as graceful as possible.

We start another round of classes in March. Perhaps a star is born!

Welcome to the Family

We are pleased to announce the newest addition to our family, our nephew,

Michael Richard

Born yesterday, weighing in at 7lb. 7oz.

Proud parents, Maureen and Patrick, and big brother, Peter, are all doing well and look forward to beginning their life as a family of four.

A Long and Beautiful Life

June 20, 1917 - January 29, 2009
...a loving friend, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother

To a person who was beautiful both on the inside and on the outside. May we all find comfort and peace by celebrating your 91 years of life and cherishing the special memories we shared together throughout the years. Your kindness, loving nature, and talent will be greatly missed.

WE LOVE YOU!

We'll miss you, Great Grandma!
Thanks for all of the wonderful things you made us over the years!
We'll cherish them always.

Earning their Keep

Despite all of the fun we had in the snow the past couple of days, there was also work to be done. The car needed to brushed off, the sidewalk shoveled, and the walkways cleared. Good thing we had such great help!

Kate's Prayers were Answered

Last night before going to bed, Kate asked for it to snow during her prayers. Sure enough, she woke this morning to everything covered in white!! She turned to me and said, "I think God made it snow for me."


So we bundled the girls up and took them out into the winter wonderland this morning. Kate enjoyed shoveling with her sand shovel and trying to catch snowflakes. Lauren's primary goal was to try and stay dry...not very successful.

With the prediction of snow in the forecast yesterday, Mark went out and purchased a sled for the girls. We went to a newly developed neighborhood down the street and gave it a few test runs. Our sledding was somewhat brief due to the snow that is still falling and our lack of appropriate snow attire. Nonetheless, the girls enjoyed their first "true encounter" with snow.

Despite the fun had outside, the girls really enjoyed the hot chocolate and popcorn when we returned inside. I'm sure we'll venture out again before the snow melts in a couple of days.

It's a Jungle Out There!

Our final park destination on our trip was the Animal Kingdom with Dad and Pat. We were highly entertained with the Festival of the Lion King and Finding Nemo: the Musical, two incredible show! We also explored "Africa" on the safari seeing numerous animals. During the day there were several character sitings as well as tasty refreshments including ice cream and popcorn.

Our final day in Florida was spent relaxing at our hotel in preparation for the long car ride the next day. We did enjoy some family time playing miniature golf and splashing in the pools and hot tubs. Our trip was amazing and filled with beautiful memories we will treasure for a lifetime.