Kindergarten Kate

It's hard to believe that Kate actually had her 1st day of kindergarten yesterday. I remember when she was a tiny baby weighing less than 8 lbs...seems like just yesterday! Although nervous about meeting new friends and going to an unfamiliar school, she ended up having a great day! She already made two friends that she ate, played, and rested with during the day. She also informed us that her favorite part of the day was the cafeteria. Of the 6 kids that were there (staggered entry), 3 chose cafeteria and 3 chose gym as their favorite activity. I guess the academics kicks in in the later years.

Here's hoping yesterday was a sign of the year ahead!

Relaxing and Reminiscing in Rodman

Our second stop during our travels took us to Rodman, NY. It may be a small town, but it's large on fond memories from my childhood with my brother and cousins. The girls loved running across the fields from house to house, playing on the playground, building sand castles at Lake Ontario, discovering the many toys at Aunt Pat and Uncle Jerry's house, and running around Great-Grandpa's backyard. Kate even managed to find a little time to paint with Uncle Jerry. We enjoyed delicious food and plenty of relaxation...a very nice visit!

Track Out Travels

We once again made our journey north a couple of weeks ago during Mark's track-out. Due to our limited amount of time, my commitment to Vacation Bible School at our church, and the fact that Kate starts kindergarten in 2 weeks, we shortened our trip this year. Sorry to all of those we did not see this year...we hope to see you soon if not during our next trip. We did miss all of you we did not see!

After spending the night in VA, we journeyed to Wilmington, DE, to visit Mark's grandparents and fulfill many of his childhood "food" memories. We had a very nice visit and lunch with Grams and Gramps, in which the girls thoroughly enjoyed exploring their house and telling of their recent activities.

From there it was on to the food cravings of tomato pie and water ice. Although the girls passed on the first item, they were pleased to partake in the water ice...Kate selecting watermelon and Lauren cherry (both turning their tongues a beautiful shade of pink and red).


Our final stop that day was outside Philadelphia at Mark's aunt and uncle's house. After picking up his grandfather on the way, we were able to catch his cousin's baseball game and have dinner with the family. The girls loved playing with their cousins (4 boys!) in the backyard! in fact, we truly believe Lauren would have slept on the swing if we let her!

Homegrown produce

The girls and I decided to plant some vegetables this year in an attempt to actually grow our own produce. We planted 5 tomato plants, 4 pepper plants, basil, and oregano. With water each day, some NC sunshine, and plenty of watching, we we able to produce a mighty fine pepper. (There are plenty more where that came from.)

Not bad for amateurs!

Has it really been 15 years?

Two weekends ago I returned to Bucknell for my 15-year college reunion! Mark stayed home while the girls enjoyed a fun-filled weekend with Grampy and Grammy in VA.

It was great catching up with all of my friends and seeing their families. The campus has changed quite a bit with the addition of several new buildings. Just like old times, we stayed in the dorms, bringing back memories of the stark dorm rooms and community bathrooms. I must admit, the showers seemed very small. It's amazing what we used to live in at such a young age. I appreciate the luxuries I have now in my life that much more! Here are a few shots from the weekend.

On again, off again rainy days

For the past couple of days, with the exception of today, the weather has been partly cloudy with showers throughout the day. These days prevent the girls and I from playing outdoors, never mind the fact that we're having our siding replaced as well and there are ladders and equipment throughout the yard. So, we decided to do some "girl" things this past Monday to pass the hours away. For starters, Kate requested braids in her hair, while Lauren settled for ponytails.

After hair was complete, we moved on to making necklaces and bracelets with an array of colorful beads (as seen on Lauren in the photo below).

To round off the morning, we had a "picnic" lunch of hot dogs and pretzels in the living room on our "picnic blanket." Not bad for a rainy morning.

Party at the Park

Following Kate's graduation ceremony, we grabbed lunch from McDonald's and headed to a park for some fun with friends. Kate's friends, Connor and Kathryn, their parents, and Maureen and the boys joined us for the event. After finishing lunch the kids tackled the playground before heading to the lake to scope out the turtles and fish. The adventure was complete with the discovery of a honeysuckle bush...mighty tasty! It was beautiful weather and a perfect way to end such a special day!