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!!