So You Think You Can Dance...

...Dance....Dance....Dance....

I love this show!

My girlfriend, Amy, first got me into it about 3 seasons ago. Now, I am hooked. I have always wanted to be a dancer in my next life! (I don't believe in a 'next life', but you know what I mean)

Anyway, this same friend, Amy, was able to snag some great tickets for us for SYTYCD On Tour 2009 (Season 5). They were awesome seats and we had a blast.

These dancers are amazing on the show and EVEN. BETTER. LIVE!!!!

They performed some of my personal favorite dances from that season:

"The Butt Dance" (Randi and Evan)
"Mad - Hip Hop Dance" (Phillip and Jeannine)
"The Necklace Dance" (Jeannine and Jason)
"The Zombie Dance" (Kayla and Jason)
"The Addiction Dance" (Kayla and Kupono)
"The Vampire Dance" (Kayla and Kupono)
"The Cancer Dance" (Melissa and Ade)
"The Finale Paso Doble " (Brandon and Jeannine)

They also did some great group numbers and solos!

It was an awesome night! It just made me want to DANCE....DANCE....DANCE!

One Year...

...has come and gone.

That's right, today is my blogoversary. I can hardly believe it myself!

It all started with this post.

And do you remember my first blog design by Jo-Lynne at DCR Designs?



Within this year has been lots of ups and downs.

These were milestones:

Cate's First Haircut

Max's Preschool Graduation

Cate's Big Girl Bed

Max's First Day of Kindergarten

Cate's First Day of Preschool

There were sad times:

My grandmother's passing

My miscarriage

There were "Silly" posts:

Embarrassing Post Office encounter

Where Mommy morphs into Daddy

And then their were "Pie and Ice Cream Moments":

Noah's Flood

Big Dreams

New Words

Wishful Thinking

Dinnertime Funny

So, thanks to all of you who have been on this exciting journey with me from the beginning, and for those of you who haven't I hope you will take some time to explore some of the above posts to get to know me a little bit more!

Here's to another exciting year!

19 of 52 - Harvest Party

Today was Cate's preschool harvest party. I was super busy taking pictures of all the little goblins, so I am glad I remembered to have someone take this picture. I am really enjoying Halloween this year. Cate is really into it and it is fun to see her go up and say "Trick or Treat" with such enthusiasm!

For more photos "with mom", click the button above to visit Forever in Blue Jeans.

Ghosts of Halloween Past

As we approach Halloween, I wanted to take you back to some of our "Ghosts of Halloween Past"!

Max as my "prize pumpkin" and myself as the "farmer". He was 10 months old.

Max as a "dinosaur". He was almost 2.

When he was almost 3, he was OBSESSED with Thomas the Tank Engine, so it was only fitting.

Max's train obsession became a PIRATE obsession, so he was Captain Hook and Cate was Tinkerbell. He was almost 4 and she was 9 months old.

Carrying on the Disney theme (I mean, it's me..), Max was Pluto and Cate was Daisy Duck! (I was also Cruella DeVil). Max was almost 5 and Cate was almost 2.

To see more Ghosts of Halloween Past, visit Angie at SevEn cLoWn CirCuS by clicking the button below. This week you can enter to win a Flip! camera!

Deflated!

Well, I am feeling a bit deflated! My dreams of becoming a member of the 2010 WDW Moms Panel have all but floated away!

It all began this morning. I was a bit tired after having a hard time going to sleep the night before. Today was the day! On my question submission page for Round 2, it mentioned that we would be notified "on or around October 27". So, suffice it to say, it has been on my mind. Adding to that, I also had the stress of dealing with Max's flu yesterday!

I digress...at 2:03 EST, I received a "thank you" letter informing me that I had not moved on to the next round. Of course, I was a wee bit sad by this email, but I knew I had tried my best and there is always next year. I quickly jumped on Twitter to tweet my decline notice to my fellow Round 2 applicants. However, I didn't have time to write an email or check any chat boards at that point. I had to get to Cate's school to pick her up.

Upon returning, still saddened for my own fate, but excited to see which of my online "tweeps" and fellow Disney fans had made it on to the next round. Through this process, I have made tons of friends that I probably wouldn't have otherwise....and they all "get it" (this intense passion for all things Disney)!

Then, as I am checking my email a little later to see if any of those friends had chimed in, I notice another email from the same Disney employee that sent the first one with the subject line "Recall: Walt Disney World Thank You". My heart sank....was this an email to say, "oops, we messed up, we take it back, and you are moving on!"? I open it up and it simply says, "____ (name withheld) would like to recall the message, "Walt Disney World Thank You."

That's it.

No explanation.

So, I quickly called Matt and asked him what he thought this could mean. I was so confused. Now another thing I need to mention was that in the first decline email, it was CC'd with a bunch of other people's emails, which I can only assume are other applicants. So, he said that it must have been an attempt to take the email back since everyone was not BCC'd. Yes, I hear what he is saying. So, maybe they will send an email quickly thereafter explaining and/or apologizing for the error.

But, there was still the question, "Could this mean that it was a MISTAKE...and I have made the cut." At this point, there had not been any "Congratulations, you are moving on" emails going out, and several of my tweeps hadn't heard one way or another.

So, I wait.

And wait.

And wait.

At this point, I am even more emotional and confused and upset at the obvious question....had I made it or not! Yes or no....I am ok with No, but I would at least like a definite NO! Not, NO...then recall...then nothing!

Finally, we begin to see tweets and facebook and chat rooms light up with confirmations of Yes emails!

So, that must mean one thing....it's a no for me!

I am a little deflated myself.....but absolutely ELATED for all my Disney pals out there who got to the next round. I wish them lots of pixie dust as they embark on their phone interviews.

There is always next year! And heck....I made if from roughly 20,000 down to approximately 200. So, that is a huge feat!

I would like to thank you all for your constant support via comments, calls, emails, prayers and simply good thoughts!

Weekend Update

Well, the weekend started off with a blast.

On Friday, Max was off from school and our friends were back in town to close on their house. It was perfect timing. I offered to watch the kids at our house while she supervised the packing, ran errands, etc. So, our four kids and another friend and his mother came over for the entire day for a huge playdate.

That night, we all went out to dinner at a local taco place then headed to our parish Trunk or Treat. The kids looked adorable and we enjoyed socializing with all the kids and parents!

The next day, Max had soccer pictures and a game very early. I was solo with both kids and these early morning activities since Matt was participating in the men's spiritual weekend retreat at our church. It was a bit cold and damp that morning, but the boys seemed to tolerate it well. By the end of the game, the temp outside had warmed up. The rest of the day, I just hung out with my kiddos. We played games, went outside, and watched movies.

That evening, our friends stayed with us since all of their beds were packed up on the truck that day. It was a great "last hoorah" with them. Max was beside himself that Matthew got to sleep over in his bunk beds. The next morning, I got up early to go get donuts and make coffee. After they got up and ready, we enjoyed breakfast together before they left for the airport to head back to Atlanta. It wasn't as tearful a good-bye as the last time, but it was still hard since we aren't sure when our next visit will be. We hope to get there either this spring or early summer.

Then, shortly after they left, I noticed that Max felt pretty warm! Oh, great, I thought as we have just spent most of the weekend in close quarters with these friends! It got up to 103 yesterday and hasn't dropped below 100 at all, even on Motrin. He also had this horrible icky sounding cough. So, this morning I took him in to the doctor. Sure enough he tested positive for the type A flu and a 90% chance it is H1N1 since most it is too early for the seasonal flu. So, he is on Tamiflu for the next 5 days and the doc even gave us a Rx for Cate in case she begins to spike a fever or get any symptoms. So far, so good with her, though....{knocking on wood}.

So, after our weekend of fun....this is what we get.

At least it is taking my mind off of waiting of the results of Round 2 of the WDW Moms Panel results. I hope to hear something tomorrow. I'll keep you posted.

So, how was your weekend?

Trunk or Treat

Last night was the annual "Trunk or Treat" at our church hosted by the MOMS group. For those of you who have never been to one, it is basically trick or treating out of decorated car trunks. Families from our parish come to the church parking lot and line up their cars, open their decorated trunks, and hand out goodies to the kids. It is a fun and safe community event!

We have done it every year since moving here and it is definitely a hit with my kids. Since Max and Cate go to the private parish school, most of the children that attend are their schoolmates. So, it is a ton of fun for them. This was the first year that it was held in the evening. The past few years that we have done it, it has been in the afternoon. With the cooler temps this year, and the setting sun, it felt more like a Halloween evening.

There were probably 60+ cars. We started at our car (I walked with the kids and Matt handed out the treats) and made our way around. As we walked we would meet up with friends and get some pictures of them with their close buds! At the end of the event, they have a parade of costumes and all the parents in the cars clap for the kids as they walk by. They also serve cider and have a spot for posed picture taking.

(click on the picture to get a closer look)

As you can see, Cate is Alice in Wonderland and Max is Luke Skywalker, the X-wing Fighter Pilot. So, we have kicked off the Halloween festivities. The kids have school parties this week, Cate gets to wear her costume to ballet, there is a fall festival/haunted house at the church, then trick or treating in our neighborhood next weekend.

So, Boo to all of you! Hope you have a Spooktacular Halloween!

18 of 52 - Fall Fun with the Friends

My best and longest friend (we've been BFFs since we were 5) hosted a fall party this past Tuesday. She served two kinds of chili, I made the cornbread, then for dessert had pumpkin pound cake and a pumpkin crumble. The pumpkin crumble was a cross between a coffee cake and pumpkin pie! It was simply divine. I need to get the recipe. After we ate and the kids played some, she had apples for the kids to decorate in caramel and candy. They loved this. However, Cate chose to just eat the apple on the stick (sans caramel and candy), which was fine with me....less mess and of course, less sugar!

For more photos "with Mom", click the button below to visit Forever in Blue Jeans!

Just gets better with age!

No, I am not talking wine here.

I am speaking of my wonderful husband, Matt.

Today is his birthday.

Yes, he is a bit gray. However, the kids and I think that makes him look...well, as Max would say, "estinguished"!

Yes, he works long and hard hours. However, when he is home with us.....it is ALL about us!

Yes, he is the best father and husband a girl could ask for.

I often tell him he is my rock, my best friend, my inspiration and support!

I hope he has the best year yet.

Cuz, he just gets better with age!

Trip Enhancing Pixie Dust

In addition to the basic planning tools for a Walt Disney World vacation, I like to tell people about some ideas I have to make the trip extra special. Some of these ideas cost little or no money, but offer opportunities to bring a little more sparkle to your trip.

1) SpectroMagic - this is the nighttime parade at Magic Kingdom that is made up of floats all lit up with twinkling lights. Even the costumes are illuminated! It is not shown every night of the year, so when planning, keep this in mind!

2) Hidden Mickeys - these are unofficial markings/object arrangements throughout the parks that are hidden within the theming and decor. There is a wonderful guidebook written by Steve Barrett to help with the hunt! Take an afternoon off from riding the rides or touring to do a little "Hidden Mickey Hunting" or take the guidebook along to "hunt" while riding the rides and standing in the lines! A lot of fun and the kids will have a ball looking for them. Max spotted his first hidden Mickey on our last trip and was so proud of himself for finding it with no prior help!

3) Book an early morning character breakfast in Magic Kingdom (ie, Crystal Palace or Cinderella's Royal Table) before the park opens. This offers a unique opportunity to see Main Street in front of the Castle virtually empty. This time is a great photo opportunity (can you believe that I don't have a picture myself)!

4) Take a break with a Mickey bar (ice cream treat) on a secluded bench and compare your favorite rides. Sometimes, if rush around like a chicken with its head cut off, you and your kids get stressed out and that can cause vacation nightmares (ie, tantrums). This conversation will give you a little rest and that one on one time with your kids may end up being one that you will always remember! (in photo: our dear friend, Elizabeth, whose family went with us in April 2009)


5) Explore outside the parks. There are so many other things you can do besides riding rides in the parks. There are 2 themed miniature golf courses. There is Downtown Disney with Disney Quest (additional admittance fee), an "interactive theme park that is a one-of-a-kind gaming experience". You can also rent boats or surrey bikes at a couple of the resorts. There is even parasailing at Disney's Contemporary Resort (Matt and I did this on our honeymoon there and had a blast).

6) Book either a princess or pirate makeover for your kids at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique or Pirate's League, respectively. These are a bit of a splurge but well worth the money and magic! If you were plannning on letting them get one or more souveniers, decide to do this instead! I can't wait to take both kids to do this on our next trip. Cate was too young on our last trip and the Pirate's League opened after we were there. I recently did a post on the Pirate's League, click here to see it.

7) Arrange for a wake up call at least once, if staying at a WDW resort, and let the kids answer that call. They will be excited to hear who is on the other end! (Hint: it is someone with lots of "character"!)

8) Leading up to the trip, make a countdown paper chain! Use Mickey scrapbook paper or yellow, red, black and white papers (Mickey colors). It is fun to make a link for each day leading up to your trip and just as fun to tear them off the chain and watch it dwindle down as it gets closer. This will really get the kids excited for the trip!

9) Autograph books are a must for meeting the characters! For one, it is a great interaction with the characters. Plus, it is a great inexpensive souvenier to take home with you! For our last trip, instead of buying one of their autograph books, Max and I made his. He drew the cover, then I had it laminated and spiral bound at the office supply store with lots of white paper in the middle. (Hint: always have a jumbo pen for the characters to use...the bigger the better, as that makes it easier for their big and often gloved hands)

10) Most importantly, just relax and have fun! Don't be afraid to act or look silly with your kids like dancing in the walkway with them when you hear a silly song come over the loud speakers, or making silly faces in pictures with the characters! Sometimes these memories are the ones that will mean the most when you look back on your trip! (in photo: clearly my Dad was never afraid to look or act silly while at WDW)

So, when you decide to plan your trip, remember these few ideas or come up with some of your own to add that little bit of pixie dust and magic to your trip! You will be so glad you did.

For more tips, check back each Saturday or click on the button to the right. It will direct you to a main post with all the tips linked to it! I hope you enjoyed this "Bit of Pixie Dust" and I hope it offered you a little insight into when to go that best suits your family's needs!

Disclaimer: These opinions are based on my personal experience and are in no way endorsed by the Walt Disney Company!

You ate how many???

So, last Friday, in between dropping Max off at school and going to my MOMS (Mothers Offering Mothers Support) meeting at church, Cate and I were at home. I needed a cup of coffee and to catch up on some emails. Cate went into our room to watch a show on TV before we had to leave 30 minutes later for he meeting.

As I went back into our room to get her to leave for the meeting, she said, "Have one, Mommy!" She was holding a piece of gum up to me. I immediately thought, "where did she get gum?" Then, I saw it!!!!! At least 6 wrappers surrounding her on the bed. OH. MY. GOSH!!!! I quickly asked her if she had EATEN all those pieces of gum. She nodded very matter of factly (almost proudly)! Then, I saw the empty box. Keep in mind, I have no idea where she got it from or that we even had gum, so I had no idea how many were in the box before she started chomping away!

I immediately called the pediatrician. I knew that swallowing gum was not too detrimental, but 6, possibly more...what does that do to a little 2 year old's digestive system! The nurse promptly called me back. Actually, she was quite tickled. She said first off that it was a welcome distraction from all the calls for the flu! (Gee....glad I could make her day!) She told me that it will digest and that I probably wouldn't even know she had passed it. She cleared up the "Old Wives Tale" that gum digests just like everything else and doesn't stay in your stomach for 7 years!

Ok, moving on....tonight after bed, Max comes down after about 10 minutes and tells Matt that he got hungry (sidenote: he refused to eat the dinner we made, so he went without) and opened the new bottle of vitamins and ate some!

Some to Max equals 17!!!! We know that because I bought the new bottle yesterday and he still had a few in the old bottle, so we hadn't opened it yet. Matt counted them. There were supposed to be 50 and now all that was left was 33! I had no idea he could open the safety top, so never thought it was an issue to have them on his counter! BAD MOMMY {sound of slapping the wrist}

Again, we immediately called the after hours nurse number for his pediatrician who then told us to call Poison Control! They did assure us that since there is no iron in that particular brand of gummy vitamin, there is no cause for alarm. He may have an upset tummy or "concentrated and potent smelling urine". I can deal with that!

So, obviously this has been a pattern in my house this week! One that I do not care to repeat.

When You Wish Upon a Star

Well, I have made it to Round 2 of the Moms Panel 2010 application process! I have until Friday at 11:59pm EST to answer 3 more questions (each 100 words or less) and submit a picture. If I make to the third and final round, the phone interviews will be conducted the week of November 2nd!

I haven't come down off cloud 9 since I got the email about two hours ago! The song "When You Wish Upon a Star" is playing over and over in my head.

Now, if you are wondering what exactly I am rambling on and on about, click here to find out what this panel actually does. It is a great resource for those planning future Walt Disney World Vacations!

Monster Mash!

With Halloween approaching, I put together this little diddy to bring a spooky grin to your face!

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Happy Birthday, Marie

Today is my mother-in-law's birthday.

Marie is such a wonderful lady that it is hard to put into words. She has always welcomed me into the family. She is a dedicated nurse to her patients, a loving mother to her 3 boys, and a doting "Nonnie" to her 3 grandchildren. She is also an amazing cook. My favorite dish of hers is her pasta with sauce. She is 100% Italian and can make a mean tomato sauce from scratch! It is always top on our list of requests for dinner when we visit.

I hope that you have one of the best birthdays yet, Marie, and may all your wishes for this coming year come true!

The Waiting Room

This week is going to be full of stuff that we are waiting for...

Moms Panel Round 2 results (fingers crossed for some delivery of pixie dust)
Matt's new suit to be tailored
Flu Mist to be available at our pediatrician
Sunshine (this is a big one....these fall temps are nice but we would like some sun)

So, as we wait for these exciting and not so exciting things in this house, I guess I'll catch up on laundry and other household chores!

Donuts with Daddy

Yesterday was "Donuts with Daddy" at Cate's preschool. The dads came to drop off with their child and had donuts. They got to see their child interact in the classroom. Cate was so excited about seeing Matt in the parking lot as we walked in. As Matt got there, I let him walk her in and get her signed in (as he doesn't ever get to experience this). He said he stayed for about 45 minutes. She showed him around the classroom and played "kitchen" with him and stacked blocks for him. She also made a "donut" art project. When I picked her up, she wanted to eat the glued on sprinkles and even tried to get me to eat one....gross. I finally got that stopped and decided to take a picture of the project. With actual food product on it, not sure how long it will last. Definitely not one for the scrapbooks!

17 of 52 - Me and my pumpkin

This was taken at our recent outing to the Pumpkin Patch.

For more pictures of "moms", click the button above to visit Forever In Blue Jeans!

WordFUL Wednesday - Newest House Guest

So, we have a small visitor living with us this week!

His name is George.

He is cuddly and soft and very quiet.

So far, no complaints from George.

I think he likes it here!

This week, Curious George traveled from Kindergarten to our house. He departs for a new home on Friday! Each kindergartner gets George for a whole week. The student is supposed to treat him like a family member and then document their adventures in the journal that comes in George's "luggage". Also in George's luggage are three different Curious George books to read at our leisure. He arrived yesterday and so far he has played Yahtzee and Play-Doh with Max.

Tonight, we will read a book or two with him.

For more Wordful Wednesdays, visit Angie at SevEn cLoWn CirCuS by clicking the button below!

Big and Orange

Yesterday, Cate and I ventured out to a local pumpkin patch to meet up for an outing hosted by my MOMS group at church.

Several of the children are from Cate's Leaps and Bounds preschool class. As we pulled into the parking lot, we spotted a couple of them and she just shrieked with delight and called out their names. I tell ya, it is so fun to see her make these new friends and call them by name. Watching them interact was a sheer treat.

First, we headed into the patch that had tiny pumpkins just their size all in neat little rows. However, after about 10 minutes with these preschoolers moving and sorting and rearranging, those rows weren't quite as straight!

Then, we moved over to some picnic tables by the stables to eat our packed lunches. They giggled and talked and the moms got some good conversation in about cooking and recipes, especially chili and stews for this new fall weather.

Lastly, we made our way over to the hayride. This was fun and the kids all sat very still and looked around. As we got off the hayride, they noticed a small "train" made of barrels and pulled by a small tractor. So, they all got in and began honking the horns attached to each barrel, so the driver offered to take them around the patch and barn. All of them had big grins on and waved as they drove by.

As we left the outing, we went back to the patch to retrieve our tiny pumpkin that was included in the price of admission. Cate was very proud of her choice.

She had so much fun that she fell asleep almost the moment we pulled out of the parking lot. This mother/daughter date was lots of fun! I love my little "pumpkin" (as we have called her since birth)!

From Toy Story to Big Tex

This weekend has come and gone with so much activity, my head is still spinning, but in a good way.

On Friday afternoon, I volunteered with my Junior League of Plano Provisional Group. It was the day of our group's mini project. We helped with the Educator's Open House at the new Sci-Tech Discovery Center in downtown Frisco.

They opened their doors to the public yesterday, but on Friday, local educators got the chance to tour the facility in order to better acquaint themselves with it. Our hope was that they will bring school groups in for field trips. The Sci-Tech Discovery Center began as the brainchild of the Junior League of Plano in 1999 to meet the community's demand for an innovative discovery center. Today, it is a local nonprofit that has been bringing various discovery programs to community centers, libraries, schools and Scout groups across Collin County. However, this year, it is opening in its very own permanent space. If you live in the metroplex of Dallas, particularly the northern suburbs, you will really want to come check it out. The current exhibit at the center is "Grossology: The Impolite Science of the Human Body". Max is going to love it!

Once I returned home, Matt and I headed over to a friend's 30th birthday bash. It was catered and they had a DJ. It was the first time in a long time that Matt and I had been to a party like that. We had a blast!

On Saturday morning, we tried to sleep in a little...at least I needed some extra sleep as I had indulged a little too much in the vino! ...'nuff said.

Then, we headed off to Max's first soccer game of the season. It wasn't the teams first game, but the first one Max was at. He missed last week's game since he was in NJ visiting family. This year's team is the Sharks and since he is a year older, they have goalies and referees, which they did not last year (pre-K teams). Max played for two quarters and by the last one, he was getting a little braver and more into it!

It was turning out to be a dreary day, so we decided to head to the theater to see the 3D Double Feature of Toy Story and Toy Story 2. Believe it or not, Cate lasted through the whole thing. She slept for about a third of it, but overall did very well. Max loved it.

After a good night's sleep, we got up for our traditional Sunday pancakes followed by church. After church, we grabbed some fast food to eat in the car on the way to Fair Park in downtown Dallas. We were headed to see Mary Poppins at the Music Hall. We did find great parking, however, didn't get there in time to get the cushion boosters for the kids. However, our season tickets are in the front row of the rear orchestra on the aisle, so there wasn't anyone directly in front of them. I got them a souvenir program so they perused it while waiting for it to begin.

As the music began playing, Max got the most excited look on his face and began clapping. Cate sat quietly in her chair anticipating what was going to happen. This was Cate's first "musical" experience, but not Max's! I had taken him to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang earlier in the summer.

As far as my review of the production.....PRACTICALLY PERFECT IN EVERYWAY! It was phenomenal. The sets were magnificent, the cast was amazing, and the whole experience was truly magical! What else would I expect from Disney! At the end of the production, as Mary Poppins flies (yes, flies) above the audience in the orchestra area, Max and Cate's eyes got big as saucers and I was tearing up just watching them watch her in amazement! I will never forget that moment for the rest of my life. My kids stood up at the curtain call and clapped in uproarious applause as they reprised "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" one last time! Max said that Bert was his favorite and Cate agreed (she loved the tap dance rendition of "Step in Time"). If you ever get the chance to see it, I highly recommend it!

As we exited the music hall, we headed over to the State Fair to see Big Tex and eat the traditional Fletcher's corn dog and funnel cake. While eating, we saw a marching band and heard a stage performance to which Max and Cate started playing air guitar and dancing. As it began to sprinkle rain, we decided against going to the Midway, but promised the kids we would do it next weekend.

So, as we walked hand in hand towards the exit, I told the kids that it had been one of my favorite weekends ever! Max quickly exclaimed that it was one of his, too, and kissed my hand and said, "I love you, Mommy!" {thump, thump...heart melting}

Definitely, a weekend of Pie and Ice Cream Moments!

Friendship in Pictures

Our close friends pulled out of Dallas today on their way to their new home in Georgia. Yesterday, after school, we got together one last time for ice cream and a playdate at the park. It was a tearful good-bye, but we both know that we will remain close friends across the miles! As we drove home from the park, I decided to look back at all the pictures of our kids and families together. Here is just a few of them.

The boys very first picture together. It was at the "Trunk or Treat" at our church put on by the M.O.M.S. (Mothers Offering Mothers Support) group. October 2007

Ironically, the boys were both pirates and the girls were both Tinkerbell (complete coincidence, but a sign of how close our personalities and families were)!

Max and Matthew with the class art project from their 3K class. We actually won it in a raffle and it is hanging in the playroom. April 2008

Max and Matthew at their 4K Thanksgiving Feast for the school children and their families! November 2008

Cate and Elizabeth at Cate's second birthday party. January 2009

Our families at Beaches and Cream restaurant at Walt Disney World during our joint trip in April 2009.

We had a blast with them one summer day at Hawaiian Falls. June 2009

Cate and Elizabeth's first day of Leaps and Bounds. September 2009

And our last few get togethers, dinner at Fish Express (last time to see John) and then our ice cream/park playdate.



We Miss them already!