Life With Three!

The Navy Ball

2011-10-15T23:52:00.002-05:00

Tonight, David and I attended the Navy Ball. David was the MC and I was his date. : )

It was fun getting all dressed up and going on a date.
My and my handsome sailor as we were leaving for the evening.

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-09T23:49:00.000-05:00

We spent a nice fall afternoon at the pumpkin patch with Bamma. The kids didn't cooperate with the photos, but I was able to get a few.

Gianna loved feeding the animals. After she ran out of the food we bought from the machine, she picked up the little pieces of corn the fell on the dirt. Very resourceful!

My littlest pumpkin with a bunch of pumpkins.
Here we are on the hay ride. They don't look happy, but they really did enjoy themselves.
David and me - please note I have a black back-pack on. It's not a hunch back!
Gemma and Spencer had a silly string fight. They took it very seriously! : )

Action shot!

While the big kids were with the silly string, Bamma and Gianna were looking for gemstones. Gemma came over to look for some too.

My attempt at a family photo. It was a fun day and we're looking forward to more fall fun!

Cat Bite

2011-10-02T21:00:00.001-05:00

Today we went to Gino and Linda's house for the afternoon.

Unfortunately, we had to cut our visit short when one of their cats decided to bite Gemma! I decided to call the doctor and was advised to go in to have the bite cleaned properly and to get a perscription for an anti-biodic.

So after an hour visit, we loaded in the car and went to the clinic. Gemma missed swimming lessons, but I felt much better having seen the doctor and getting the medicine.

Just another reason why I really, really dislike cats. : (

Gianna's Birthday

2011-09-29T16:51:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was Gianna's 4th birthday. I normally have to wake her to start her day, but today she greeted me at the stairs leading up to my (and David's) room.

She was very excited to see her door decorated (I always do this for the kids' birthdays).

After everyone was off to school, I ran some last minute errands for the family party in the evening. This is the box that Gianna's cake came in - can you tell she likes Barbie!

After school, I wanted to get another photo of her in the doorway wearing her cupcake shirt. I bought this shirt last spring and if it was up to Gianna she would wear it DAILY!

We had a small family gathering in the evening - just grandparents and godparents. Fortunately the weather was beautiful, so gathering outside was managable.

Gemma invited her friends from down the street for cake and ice cream. The more we give away, the less I am tempted to eat!

And before it was completely dark outside, a quick group shot. We had a wonderful evening with family celebrating our precious little girl!

Happy Birthday!

2011-09-28T06:59:00.001-05:00

Happy 4th birthday, Gianna!

xoxo mommy & daddy

Pinning Ceremony

2011-09-18T20:50:00.000-05:00

On Sunday, the children and I attended a ceremony. David is reading the invocation. He didn't ask for photos, but I couldn't resist!

Here he is standing at attention. I know he looks "displeased", but the military doesn't really care for smiling while at attention.

After the ceremony, I wanted to take photos of us together with David in uniform. He was busy taking care of something so I tried to get a photo of the kids with the huge flag.

David and the kids.

David and me. I tried to do a family photo - but the children were less than cooperative. Spencer doesn't like having his photo taken, Gemma was in the mood to smile (you can see that in the above photo), and Gianna was more interested in running around. Oh well, at least I tried!

Birthday Party

2011-09-10T17:13:00.000-05:00

Today we celebrated Little Abe's third birthday. You can't see it in the photo below, but he was really happy to see Gianna! ; )

Gabrin need some quality Uncle David time. They were having a deep conversation when I snapped this photo.

It was almost time for cake and ice-cream!

Gianna really loves her cousin.

Abe was so excited for cake too!

I tried to get a group shot - but Gabrin was missing. : ( We had a nice afternoon celebrating a very special little boy's birthday!

First Day of School

2011-09-07T14:33:00.001-05:00

Here are the last few years posts 2008 part II, 2009, 2010.

Today was Gianna's first day of preschool. She'll be attending on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. David and I walked her to school and she skipped and chatted the whole way.

Can you see the nerves?

Yesterday was the first day for Gemma and Spencer. There was no hesitation or nerves. If anything, the kids couldn't wait to start the new school year. As I say every year, I can't believe how fast the kids are growing! I have an almost 4 year old, a fourth grader and a fifth grader!

Renaissance Festival

2011-09-04T21:30:00.000-05:00

Mom has been going to the Renaissance Festival for years. Three years ago, she (and Edmee) took Gemma for her first visit. Gemma went in costume and LOVED it! Last year mom wanted Spencer to go too, so David was the driver while Gianna and I stayed home. Well, this year, mom wanted all three children to attend, and she even invited David and me too!

We arrived with the girls in costume. Shine it was a cool day, they had their regular clothes on underneath. Spencer brought the sword and shield he got last year. He was determined to get another weapon today!

Gianna was very excited at the first stop - where we purchased a fairy wand. (Because she doesn't already have three at home.)

And here is Spencer with his new ax. However, he felt that he still needed another weapon....

Mom was determined to get the girls hair braided. I wasn't sure if Gianna would sit still for it - she doesn't like having her hair done. It's a daily battle we have.

Here is the during. I was pretty shocked at how well she behaved. She never complained!

And the final product was two cute french braids complete with flowers.

Gemma is an old pro at this. She quickly picked her hair do and took a seat.

During

Here is the final product. It literally took no more than 15 minutes for the hairdresser to do this! And the good thing is it will last 2 to 3 days!

Now Spencer finally feels complete with his rubber-band shooter. He calls it a cross-bow. Whatever! Either way, he was heavily armed and dangerous!

Gianna and I watching a side show.

Spencer eating lunch and me sneaking a quick self-portrait!

Meet the camel that David and the girls rode.

Originally the girls were going to ride alone, but Gianna was too young and required an adult. I don't think he minded too much!

Meet the elephant.

This is the only photo of Spencer and me on the elephant. The line was fairly long, so David wandered away thinking he'd have a few minutes. However, we were brought to the front of the line to ride with another two-some. We only did one turn in the ring, but it was still fun. I'd do it again!

Resting. We arrived just after 9am and this is about 3pm. If you click on the photo, you will see how dirty we are. The tip of my nose is black. I know, really attractive!

My treasures. Everyone was having fun and Gianna was in a pretty good mood! Some days you just never know with her!

Being goofy.

Gemma and Spencer participated in live theater. Spencer had plenty of weapons and was ready for the show. It lasted about 15 minutes and had at least ten kids involved. It was cute.

After the "show" I asked if one of the characters would take a photo with his fellow "actors". He kindly obliged!

As we were slowly working our way to leave, we stumbled upon juggling school. I took some photos and even laughed at the kids a little. I decided that wasn't very nice.

So I decided to try my hand at juggling. It's hard! I never thought it looked easy, but after trying, I have a lot of respect for the crazy people we saw earlier in the day juggling knives!

I think the teacher just wanted to put his arm around me. ; ) Here we are juggling with 5 balls. David humored me and took photos!

This photo was taken just after we finished the fourth or fifth bowl of soup. Cream of wild rice soup in a yummy bread bowl. DELICIOUS!

Our group shot just before leaving for the day (at 6:45pm). We had so much fun and ate too much. I think that counts as a prefect day! Thanks for taking us, mom - we had a great time! David and I are talking about going in costume next year! : )

Family Gathering

2011-09-03T21:00:00.000-05:00

Another loud, crazy, fun family gathering. Just how we like them! : )

Boating

2011-08-28T09:47:00.000-05:00

So much for not spending enough time with our good friends! Sunday morning, Hoa called and invited us to go boating on the St. Croix River. David had reserves, but the kids and I had no plans - so the four of us went! The weather was beautiful and the company was great. Hoa's sisters and their children were on the boat too. Plenty of playmates for Gemma, Spencer and Gianna.

Hoa with her adorable niece Maggie.

Our captain.

Gianna loving the water.

Spencer was splashing the kids.

Sisterly love!

Friends

2011-08-26T23:59:00.000-05:00

David and I had the pleasure of spending not only the day at the fair, but we returned in the evening to meet up with friends and see a concert. Hoa and I have been best friends since we were in kindergarden. We now have five children between us, so the time we spend together is little. Tonight, we were able to spend a few hours together enjoying music (Def Leppard and Heart) and some great company. Here's looking forward to our next outing!

Waiting for the sun to set.

Looking rough, but having fun!

Friends having a blast!

State Fair

2011-08-26T23:08:00.000-05:00

Today we went to the MN State Fair with mom. Here are the previous visits - 2008, 2009, 2010. (Really, mom likes to take the kids to the fair and she needs David and I to chauffeur!) She told Gemma and Spencer they were able to bring a friend. We arrived at 9am and stayed until 4pm. The kids were great and ate lots of yummy food. Here are a few photos from our fun day!

Water Park

2011-08-21T22:47:00.005-05:00

Yesterday we drove to the country to spend the weekend with Edmee and Howard. The plan was to swim in the afternoon and then just relax at the house. Sounds like the perfect weekend plan to me!

We've been to the water park once before and the kids had fun. But now that Gianna was older and Gemma was tall enough for the big slide, we knew that they'd have even more fun.Gianna loved the little water slide. She must have slid down that thing 100 times!
During a water break, the children humored me with a photo.
Gianna and titi Edmee.

David and I were there too!

During the water break, Edmee took the kids to the snack shack. Gianna chose cotton candy.

And she loved it!

Gemma had a drumstick.

Spencer had chips, but apparently I wasn't fast enough to get an "action" shot!

When the break was over, Gianna decided to work on her back floats. I have to say, she's doing a great job!
I love this photo of Spencer. He looks so cool and at ease as he is getting ready to slide into the pool.
My timing was so off with Gemma on the slide. This was the best I could get. I tried about five times and would inevitably take the photo at the wrong time. Sorry, Gemma. : (
Here is another great one of Spencer - looking at me just as I took the photo. Pure luck!
Gemma decided she wanted me to take photos of her jumping off the diving board. Again, my timing was off, but I had fun watching her!
Gianna and daddy. We spent about 3 hours at the water park and then went back to the house for some yummy steaks on the grill. For dessert, we made s'mores at the fire pit and enjoyed a relaxing evening of talking and laughing.

Thanks for a great weekend Edmee! : )

The Runway

2011-08-19T21:41:00.008-05:00

We are so in trouble!!! : )

Museum

2011-08-19T21:08:00.005-05:00

Today we went to the Children's Museum. Since we have a membership, we make frequent visits. It's a great and easy way to entertain the kids.

Today Gianna decided she wanted her face painted. The Spark Cart is almost always available when we are there, but usually she has no interested. Gemma on the other hand loves it. Today, Gemma was able to use her artistic abilities and transform her little sister into a cat!
While the girls were working on their art-work, Spencer was right across the hall playing with the ginormous blocks. He created this ramp and was quite proud of it. (He's not a fan of the face-painting)
Gianna was so patient and stood so still while Gemma "painted" her face.
You can see Gemma's concentration. She really did a great job! She is such a wonderful big sister and playmate to Gianna.
Here is the final product! Gianna wouldn't look directly at me, so this was the best I could get. I thought she looked adorable. Gemma did a great job.
Being the great big sister, she let Gianna have a turn at creating.
Gianna was very careful and took her time. She used LOTS of colors!
Gemma wasn't too happy with the final product. So we cleaned her face and then she created her own face painting.
She did the rainbow and sun, and I did the daisy. Gemma was much happier with this artwork!
After face-painting, we played with some big blue blocks and Gianna did a fashion show.
After exploring several exhibits, we ventured outside to the rooftop.
Gianna and Spencer enjoyed painting the rocks. We had a great visit to the museum. Usually we stay about two hours, but today it was over three! The kids had fun and burned a lot of energy! That's what I call a great outing!

Family Weekend

2011-08-07T23:39:00.005-05:00

This past weekend we drove to Crookston, Minnesota to celebrate my great-nephew's baptism. Since the entire family was together my mom wanted to have family photos taken. I don't have copies of those yet, but I took some at the church while we were waiting.

I neglected to take photos of Maddox - the babe being baptized - and of Vaeda, the newest member of the family and maybe even the cutest.

So here are some of the photos I did manage to take.

Emelia, Abe and Gianna.

Amarra, Emelia, Abe and Gianna. Abe doesn't look so thrilled with all of the girls!

Gabrin.

Andrew, mom and Brandon.

After church we came back to the hotel to celebrate. The kids couldn't get into the pool fast enough.
Gianna loved her floaty.
Spencer, Brandon and Gemma relaxing in the hot-tub.

Gemma and Spencer.

Even though we spent what felt like a million hours in the car (five hours on Saturday and close to six on Sunday), the kids had a lot of fun playing with all of their cousins.

Out With The Old

2011-07-27T23:34:00.000-05:00

It was time to say good-bye to our mini-van. David and I decided we were tired of spending money on repairs every other month. We bit the bullet and purchased a brand new van - complete with extended warranty. God willing, we won't spend any additional money on repairs for the new van.

Warrior Dash

2011-07-23T23:22:00.006-05:00

Saturday afternoon, David participated in the Warrior Dash. I looked at the website after he had registered for the race and thought he was crazy. It's a 3.02 mile race with obstacles all along the way. Oh, and the course is on a ski "resort" - HILLS!!!!Here are David, Gianna and Spencer walking to the buses to take us to the race.
Gianna's first time on a school bus. Can you tell she didn't care?

My other two cuties!

Along with a t-shirt, David was given this "helmet" for running the race. Spencer wanted to model it for me!
Before the race. If you look over David's shoulder you will see smoke. It's from the fire obstacle that the runners have to jump over just before they get to the finish line!
David convinced our friend Dominick to run the race with him. Dominick admitted to "hating" David for the first 2o minutes of the race. : )
Gianna was very concerned about David running IN the fire. I kept telling her that he was going to jump over it, but she still was worried. I showed her other runners jumping and that finally put her at ease. Poor little girl!
And here they are at the start. See the smiles....they quickly faded when they immediately started running up the first of many hills.
Here is David jumping over the fire. I was so excited to be able to capture this moment!
The final obstacle is crawling through mud under barbed-wire. Here he is shortly after crossing the finish line and collecting his ribbon.
Being the supportive wife I am, I wanted to congratulate my husband. I gave him a very quick kiss on the lips and then asked Gemma for a photo. Gianna didn't want anything to do with David until he was clean!
And here are the proud runners after they rinsed off. They were tired and filthy but had a blast. I'm even considering running it next year!

Minneapolis Weekend

2011-07-17T19:19:00.002-05:00

So Friday night I went to a concert and then spent the rest of the weekend at a conference with David for returning service-members. It was a great weekend with informative speakers and quality time for just the two of us. : )

Thanks to Bamma for taking care of the kids for the weekend!

NKOTBSB

2011-07-16T01:04:00.003-05:00

So tonight I was able to relive my youth with Melissa and Allison at the New Kids on The Block and Backstreet Boys concert.

Melissa and me with my pre-show cocktail!

And then they hit the stage. And I was a little disappointed. I am no longer that 14 year old girl with ripped pictures from magazines taped to my mirror or with posters on my wall. I am a 36 year old married woman with three children.
Don't get me wrong. I had fun - probably too much fun. I don't think Melissa and Allison will attend another event with me. : ) But the reality of seeing them now and remembering what it was like then just didn't match up. Again, I had fun. I screamed my head off, I danced and sang as loud as I could. But at the end of the day, I outgrew my "love" of NKOTB.
Allison and me waiting for our driver after the show. I should note, our driver was my sweet husband!
The only group shot in really crappy lighting. I had a lot of fun and I hope the three of us can go out again - if they'll let me! : )

Cabin Weekend

2011-07-10T22:06:00.006-05:00

We spent this past weekend at our friend's cabin. I have to admit, since I'm not much of an outdoorsy girl, I had some reservations. But I knew that the kids would love it, so I had to put my feelings aside.
When we arrived on Saturday morning, I was pleased to see this was where we would be staying. Even though Breca assured me it was a house with plumbing, I kept visualizing a one room log cabin with an outhouse. I think I watched too many episodes of Grizzly Adams when I was a kid! : )
The kids and David started fishing within minutes of our arrival. I was shocked at how many fish they caught just sitting on the dock.
Here are Gemma (she quickly changed into her suit upon arrival), Joe and Spencer.
Spencer's first of many fish for the weekend.

Here is Gianna with her first fish - ever! She was so excited. And as you can see, dressed appropriately in her swim-suit and life jacket.
I just love this photo. Once Gianna found this tube, it was required wearing over her life jacket. Even when she wasn't in the water!
In the afternoon we went on the boat to take the kids tubing. A rare photo of me in a swim suit.

Gemma and daddy.

Spencer and daddy.

Gemma and Spencer having a great time in the tube. They loved it!
Gianna (in her life jacket and tube!) loved the boat ride. We tried to get her to go in the big tube with either David or me, but she had NO interest. She just wanted to ride.
I love this photo because it shows how relaxed Spencer was. He just laid back and enjoyed the ride.
Here are my precious little ones. Wind-blown and happy from the exciting ride.
Enjoying the water. Gianna's favorite place was on the shore just swimming.
Gemma relaxing in a floaty.
David and Gianna tried kayaking.
And then Spencer decided to try too.
Next was Gemma and David.
Spencer found the tube tied to the dock and decided to jump in. Can you tell he really wanted to go for another ride???
Finally I decided to kayak - it looked so fun and relaxing - and it was. We had a great weekend at the cabin and I'm so glad I didn't let my silliness ruin it for the kids or me. I have to admit, I'm still not a fan of being in a lake, but it was so nice being able to relax and enjoy being on one. I'm even looking forward to going back next year!

Library

2011-07-08T13:51:00.000-05:00

Our library has different shows in the summer to entertain the kids. Today we saw a magician and then decided to check out some books.
Our course, Spencer didn't appreciate my paparazzi skills, so this was the best I was able to do.
After the girls picked out their books, they decided to play a little. As you can see, the kitchen was a bit of a disaster.
But they quickly got it into shape and were ready for customers! : )
After playing, it was time to head home with our "new" books. I was hoping for a group shot, but again, this was the best I could do. Clearly the children are not thrilled with my photo requests.
And once we were buckled up in the van, everyone started reading. I love that they love to read so much! Looking forward to our next library visit!

Bike Ride

2011-07-07T23:37:00.004-05:00

When David was deployed, he started running - a lot. He ran in several 5Ks and even the Marine 17.75k run. Unfortunately, the active lifestyle he became accustomed to became less active once the kids and I showed up last summer. Then returning to life at home - it became even less active. However, we've recently made some changes and forced ourselves to be less sedentary.
We've gone on several family bike rides and I decided to take a photo of us after one this evening. David actually decided to run with Gianna in the stroller while the kids and I rode our bikes. We were hot and sweaty, but had fun. Spencer did fall and get a rather nasty cut, but he made it through the rest of the ride with minimal complaining.
We want our kids to be active and stay active and the only way to do that is for us to teach them. And what a great incentive for us to be healthier!

Lake Elmo

2011-07-06T21:09:00.003-05:00

Today we spent the afternoon at Lake Elmo and even met up with some friends from school.
Gemma had fun with her friends.
And Gianna had a great time playing in the sand.
Joshua and Amanda came with us too - though Amanda is not a fan of the camera.

It was a great day to enjoy the sun and keep cool in the water.

4th of July

2011-07-04T21:00:00.003-05:00

(I had the wrong settings on the camera when I took this and I can't correct it!)

Our guests left very early this morning and since we were all exhausted from the busy week, we spent the day doing a whole lot of nothing! David and I decided to take the kids to see Kung Fu Panda 2. The kids loved it, but I fell asleep five minutes into it. Not because it was boring, but I was just so exhausted.

We didn't even stay up to watch the fireworks. In retrospect, David should have taken July 5th off also to have an extra day to rest before returning to work.

Now let's see how long it takes for us to return to "normal"!

Days 7 and 8

2011-07-03T20:00:00.001-05:00

Since our visiting friends are leaving on the 4th of July, we decided the weekend should be relatively low-key. Saturday we went to the zoo and Sunday we spent the day at my in-law's.

Our zoo has a little amusement park, so I'll let you imagine how many times we heard, "Is it time for the rides?".

Before the zoo, we grabbed lunch at Wendy's and had a make shift picnic on the grounds. It was great until Gianna fell and got a nasty cut just above her front tooth. I thought we were going to have to take her to the ER, but once the bleeding stopped, and she calmed down, we knew she (and her tooth) were going to be ok.
Here is Gemma pretending to be a bunny, (notice the ears). She was trying to cheer up Gianna.

Gianna even got some bunny ears, but wasn't feeling like herself just yet. Even though the bleeding had stopped, she insisted on holding a tissue on her gum line. Poor baby. :(
Now it's time for zoo pictures! The kids sitting on a giant brass turtle. Gianna wasn't interested in posing yet.
Jared, John and Spencer enjoying the shade. Spencer was sporting his South Carolina t-shirt our guests brought for him. They actually brought one for each of us!
After seeing a few animals, we decided to seek shade and wait for the sea-lion show. We had to wait 30 minutes for it to start. Gemma isn't in the photo because she, Jared and Sophia decided to get a closer seat in the hot sun. Spencer waited until just a few minutes before the show started to sit with the kids. Smart kid!

After the show we continued walking and saw the lions'
And the giraffes.
We tried to see the wolves, but they were hiding. We ended up finding more shade and having frozen lemonade to cool off!
Finally it was time for the rides. Gianna loved the car ride.
Spencer and the big kids went to "driving school!".
They also went on a roller-coaster.
The final event at the amusement park was this game. The kids launched water balloons at eachother. This is before it started.
Look at the confidence!
And then it was show time!

And here they are after - not soaking wet, but wet. The kids had a lot of fun and enjoyed the added benefit of cooling off in the water!

Days 5 and 6

2011-07-01T23:50:00.001-05:00

Day five of our vacation was another hot and humid day. This time we decided to spend the day at Lake Elmo. We even grilled lunch there! A fun time was had by most. I started out with a headache in the morning that turned into a nasty migraine. We were at the lake for about four hours before we packed up - for me to nap and for the rest of the crew to see Cars 2. I took a much needed nap for my headache and everyone else was in the comfort of a/c at the movies.

Day six took us to Ikea. John and Georgia had never been and wanted to see it. We ate in the cafeteria and then cruised around the store for an hour or so. Then we went across the street to the Mall of America to go to the aquarium.
Here are my lovely people when we first arrived.

Jared, Gemma and Sophia checking out some water creature.
Here is a photo of it - I think it's a sea anemone.

Starfish

David and the kids.
After we looked at the different tanks and pools, it was time to start our tour. To keep the kids interested, they each had these passports that had questions to answer. They had a lot of fun racing the the questions first.
Gemma and a turtle.
Here we are after the aquarium. Gemma is wearing the crown she earned for completing her passport. Spencer and Gianna each had one too, but just weren't interested in wearing them. As you can tell from the photo, Gianna wasn't interested in taking the photo!

After the aquarium it was off to dinner at one of our favorite pizza places. I then dropped Gianna off with Bamma and the rest of us headed to Midway Stadium to watch the St. Paul Saints. It was military appreciation night and we had free tickets - the best kind of family entertainment!
Shortly after the game started the weather took a turn for the worse. Luckily we were close to a tent and were able to seek cover during the rain. However, it wasn't just rain - it was a severe thunderstorm. The tornado sirens even went off during this time.....not a very fun moment.
Luckily for us, we only experienced the torrential down pour. Which was followed by this beautiful rainbow I tried to capture. You can see it right above the red truck in this photo.
When the rain let up, the game was suspended so they could take care of the field. In the mean time our van was parked right next to the stadium, so we waited until we were given the all clear. Here are some photos of us killing time.

Finally around 9:15 (the game started at 7pm) we went back to the field to await fireworks. (Fireworks were scheduled for after the game, but they decided to do them before the game, just in case it started to rain again.) I had to leave at 9:45 to get Gianna from mom's and home to bed. But the rest of the crew stayed until 11pm and had a blast! It was a very fun, busy and exciting day!

Days 3 and 4

2011-06-29T22:21:00.001-05:00

On day three of our vacation (Tuesday), Gianna and I stayed home and relaxed while everyone else went out to celebrate Jared's 10th birthday. They played mini-golf, drove go-karts and went on water bumper cars. Not really a fun place for a 3-year-old. Unfortunately, I forgot to send the camera with David so I have no photos - but everyone had a ton of fun. We capped off the night with cake and ice cream and then a fire in the back yard complete with s'mores!!!On Wednesday, we all went to the local water park for some fun. It was hot day, and the best place to be was in the water. Gianna was having fun with the sprinklers.
I didn't take many photos, but I tried to get a few. Here is Gemma trying the lily pads. It took her several tries, but she finally made it all the way to the other end of the pool. She was very pleased with herself.
Here is Spencer just as he completed his turn. I love how he has his goggles on.....just in case he falls in and gets a face full of water!
Gianna asked Spencer to play in the kiddie area and happily obliged. Again - with the goggles!
During one of the hourly water breaks, the kids decided to "lay-out"!

Day 2 - Legoland & Nickelodeon Universe

2011-06-27T22:39:00.005-05:00

Today we headed for the Mall of America to visit Legoland and Nickelodeon Universe. The kids were more than excited!We grabbed a quick lunch at the food court and then went down to play in the land of Lego's. The great part of the store is they have areas for the kids to play.
Spencer was looking at the computer while he was working. The table he was at was round and had 10 computers and building areas. Kids were able to go to the Lego website and use it to help build a creation.
Gemma was busy putting her final touches on her creation. After this, we headed over to the amusement park and get on some rides.
Since Gianna can't go on many of the big-kid rides, she and I separated from the group and went on the little kid rides.
Clearly she was OK with this plan!
After a few rides, we met up with the group again and ran into Dora! Gianna wanted Gemma to be in the photo with her!
Then it was time for everyone else to go on the Log Ride. Gianna was clearly not happy with this decision. I managed to talk her into walking around and finding other things to do.
This time we ran into the hamster from the show "Wonder Pets".
Then we watched the kids go on a roller-coaster. Sophia was too short to go on this ride, so she sat with Gianna and watched.
Spencer giving us the "all clear" sign. The smiles never left their faces while riding.
After the rides, they all decided to go on this ginormous climbing structure. Here is David looking at me thinking, "What the hell am I doing up here?".
Gemma did awesome. She was nervous, but she didn't let that stop her!
The climbing took a while, so Gianna and I found the bumper cars to pass the time.
Here is a picture of Spencer at the highest platform. He was the only one in the group to get to it! He was so proud of himself and had no fear!!!
And finally here we are on the carousel. It was a long and busy day, but the kids had a great time. Can't wait to see what we'll be doing next!

Stay-cation Day 1

2011-06-26T22:01:00.003-05:00

Good friends of ours from South Carolina came to stay with us for 10 days. On our first official day together, we decided to go to Minnehaha Falls. While we were there, we decided it would be fun to rent bikes and explore.
Little did we know the hills would be a killer!
Gemma rode in the front of our bike with David while Georgia and I peddled in the back. I should note that Gianna sat comfortable in the very front of the bike and didn't have to peddle at all!
We accidentally took a path we shouldn't have. We crossed over a bridge and it wasn't until we were on our way back that Gemma pointed at the map on the "dashboard" that specifically said not to cross the bridge! Oops!
And just before we returned the bikes, we took family photos.
This is John and Georgia with the kids Jared and Sophia. David and John worked together in DC last year and became close friends. When the kids and I were there last summer, Georgia was there with their children. Everyone got along very well, so a vacation together seemed like a good idea.
After biking Gemma, Gianna and I went to the playground while the rest of the crew was playing in the park.

Gianna decided she wanted a shot at playing soccer.

Our first day together was a lot of fun.....a great start to the week of vacation.

Playland

2011-06-20T17:10:00.001-05:00

I had some errands to run today, so I decided to treat the kids to McDonald's for lunch. However, I chose one with a play land - that's a real big treat. I'm not a fan, but I thought since it's summer vacation, why not! The kids played for 45 minutes while I read - a win for both!

Then, just before we left, Gianna spotted Ronald and wanted a photo.
She climbed up on his lap all by herself and posed!
Then she asked for Gemma and Spencer to get into the next one.

I love this one. I sent this photo to David and he asked if she was "throwing gang signs". I guess he had a hard time making out the peace signs she was "throwing"! : )

Father's Day

2011-06-19T23:05:00.002-05:00

Happy Father's Day to the man of my dreams!

Day at The Park

2011-06-16T22:49:00.001-05:00

David had an appointment this afternoon that just happened to be down the street from a park. The kids played and I took pictures while David took care of some business. An almost perfect afternoon!

Taylor Swift

2011-06-14T23:59:00.003-05:00

Not only was today the last day of school, but it also happened to be the night Gemma would be going to see Taylor Swift! We had wanted to buy the tickets in February to give to Gemma for her birthday in April, but they sold out in just minutes.

Last week more tickets were released and David was able to get two for my girl and me! Gemma had no idea that we were ever trying to get tickets. Though, she did know about the concert because of all the commercials she heard on the radio.

I brought the kids lunch to school today and surprised Gemma with a card saying she and I were going to the concert. Needless to say she was speechless - that doesn't happen often!
Here is Gemma with her daddy and tickets!!!!

And here we are at the concert. They had a bunch of stuff to take photos and keep the girls occupied before the show.
We were waiting in line for a "make-over" and we made friends with Abigale. She and her father actually met Taylor Swift backstage earlier that night. Abigale showed us a picture of her with Taylor. Gemma immediately asked if she could hug her since she hugged Taylor - that would almost be like Gemma hugging Taylor. I love 10-year-old logic! Anyway, I think Abigale's father got a kick out of Gemma and Abigale, so he gave Gemma an autograph card that was given to them backstage. It's not an actual autograph, just a stamp, but Gemma was so thrilled. And I thought that was so sweet of him and his daughter to do that!
Finally our wait in line was over. Gemma was in the make-up chair getting pampered just like the stars! Since the tour is sponsered by Cover Girl, that was the make-up used. We were also given a free lip gloss!
And here is my pretty girl with her make-up artist. She was really sweet with Gemma; asking her if this was her first concert and making her feel really comfortable.

And here we are in our seats just before the show. The concert started at 7pm, but Taylor didn't start until 8:30. Gemma couldn't wait!
And here she is! We had great seats and Gemma was able to see everything - even with everyone standing!
Here are Gemma and Taylor - Taylor is the little dot on the left!

I love this photo - too cute!

For the finale, Taylor sang "Love Story". She climbed into a mini balcony that went over and around the entire audience. Gemma was singing her heart out during this song - and I think I may have been too!
And here is the happy girl after the show. It was a two hour concert with lots of young girls screaming, but it was so worth it. Gemma loved and I think it was a night she'll remember for a long time!

Last Day of School

2011-06-14T23:34:00.004-05:00

Today marked the last day of 3rd and 4th grade for Spencer and Gemma. (Here is 2010's post and 2009's post.)
As usual, I made the kids pose before they left for the day. If you can tell from their expressions, they were less than thrilled with me.
Gianna decided she was done, so I tried to get another of Gemma and Spencer. I was trying to say silly things to make them laugh. I think it worked!

And here are my sweet children after school. Let the summer fun begin!

Anniversary Dinner

2011-06-11T23:00:00.003-05:00

Mom took us out to dinner for our anniversary. It was delicious!
I had the beef wellington. Oh my goodness....it melted in my mouth!
Gemma and Spencer with Bamma.
After dinner we walked across the street to a park to take some photos and walk off a little of the dinner and dessert! : )
The girls being goofy - pretty much the norm!
Gianna and Spencer in action. It was such a nice evening - dinner was great and the company was even better. Thanks, Bamma for such a nice night!

School Picnic

2011-06-03T22:43:00.003-05:00

We went to the kids school picnic this evening and had a pretty nice time. Gianna fell on the sidewalk about two minutes after we arrived and got two pretty nasty scrapes on her knees. She spent most of the time in her stroller. : (I didn't take many photos - it was really hot and I was feeling too lazy to chase after the kids to catch photos. Here is Gemma with her friend Stephanie.
Spencer and his best-friend, Christian. They always have so much fun together.
We managed to get Gianna out of the stroller for a little bit to play. At first she asked David he he could play "for her". It was cute and pathetic at the same time. If you click on the photo, you'll be able to see band-aids. She refused to walk the whole evening - if she wasn't in the stoller, we had to carry her.

Only a few more days and we're out of school for summer!!!!

Our Day

2011-05-31T20:18:00.000-05:00

Memorial Day weekend didn't go as planned. Originally, David had planned to do a bunch of work around the house and I had some stuff to do outside. We were going to celebrate our anniversary Saturday night with a date and also wanted to do some fun family stuff. Well, Friday evening David came home from work feeling awful - a bad cold. Long story short, he spent most of the weekend sleeping. And since it was mostly cold and rainy, I didn't get the outside stuff done that I had wanted.

However, David was feeling better on Monday so we were able to enjoy some family time. And then on Tuesday morning he surprised me by having an extra day off of work! However, Spencer woke up and tossed his cookies. He "earned" an extra day off of school too.

So after I went to the gym and Spencer was feeling better, we went to lunch and then the bike store. Gianna saw this adorable bike and decided to try it out. I really wish I could have bought it for her, but it was almost $200!
After running some errands and spending the afternoon together, we went to school and picked up Gemma.
When we came home David and I surprised the kids by attacking them with Spencer's Nerf guns. He received these as a Christmas gift from Allison (cousin), but hadn't been able to play with them yet.
They had a lot of fun in the yard. They played for almost an hour before I had to ruin their fun by telling them to come in the house and take showers.
It wasn't the day I had planned, but it couldn't have been any better!

14

2011-05-31T00:00:00.006-05:00

Fourteen years ago today, David and I became husband and wife. Promising to love each other through the good times and the bad, for better and for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, for as long as we both shall live.

In those fourteen years, we've created a family and a life I feel so blessed to have. We've had our share of ups and downs - but I couldn't imagine going through any of it without David by my side.

My prince charming and me.

Living our happily ever after!

I love you!

Dance Recital

2011-05-26T20:56:00.003-05:00

I just realized I never blogged about the girls dance recital last week! Here are the girls before we left for the recital. This was just moments before Gianna fell and ripped her tights. We had to stop at Target to buy a new pair - thank goodness I had everyone ready to go much earlier than we needed to leave!

The girls did a great job. I volunteered to stay backstage with Gianna's class since this was her first year. I volunteered every year for Gemma's class, except the years when David was traveling and I needed to stay with the little one.

Gianna's class was first - they did a ballet routine to a Sesame Street song - it was adorable. She had the biggest grin on her face the whole time. Gianna managed to dance most of the time too - which is saying a lot for a three year old. I met her backstage after her performance and before I could open my mouth she said in such a sweet voice, "Mommy, did you see me on stage?" I assured her that I, daddy and the rest of her cheering section saw her and that I was so proud. She was proud of herself too.

Gemma is in the oldest class and they danced last - and it was beautiful. She really has a grace to her movement when dancing. I'm sad to say that next year will be her last as she is aging out of the program. She isn't so happy with that news either.
After the recital, Miss Holly gives each girl a rose, medal and certificate of completion. Unfortunately this part of the evening is very disorganized and makes photos ops difficult. Gianna also received flowers from her daddy. She was so proud of herself! However, things went downhill quickly after this photo. It was almost 9pm and she had refused a nap that day. Thank goodness she was able to hold it together for the show!
Here is Gemma with her sweet instructor Miss Holly. We started class with her when Gemma was three and we couldn't have asked for a better teacher. She truly has the patience of a saint! Gianna wasn't interested in anymore photos at this point!
Our family photo. I love how Spencer looks scared, Gemma annoyed and Gianna wants to be anywhere but there. I must say I look rather exhausted too. Trying to keep eight three-year-olds entertained backstage for almost two hours isn't easy!!!
Bamma wanted a photo with the kids. David is holding Gianna over Bamma's shoulder in this one - at least she's smiling!

It was worth all the work, but I'm glad it's over! : )

Spencer's Birthday

2011-05-26T16:59:00.005-05:00

Spencer woke up on Tuesday morning to a decorated door and a sign in his room. We had a busy day planned. First school, then dinner with Grandpa and Nonna at the restaurant of his choice followed by a Cub Scout meeting! Busy!

This was just before we left for school - what a big smile!

We met David's parent for dinner and had a very nice time. As usual, Spencer ordered the chicken fingers!
After dinner, we picked up Joshua and went to the Pack meeting for cub scouts. They were having the Rain-gutter Regatta, so we were outside. What a perfect evening!
The kids had a great time running around and playing.
Spencer even stopped long enough for me to take his photo - I love the pose. He can be such a ham when he wants too!
After everyone arrived the scouts were awarded badges they had earned. Spencer is now officially a bear! I love this photo because he is looking directly into his Pack Master's eyes as he shakes hands. He is turning into such a young man!
An ice-cream social had been planned following the regatta races, so I decided to bring cake to celebrate Spencer's big day. Unfortunately it was just windy enough to make it difficult for candles, but Spencer didn't seem to mind!
Here is little Miss Gianna. I love this photo - she was just filthy and was having a great time. I should have taken an "after" photo - the ice cream completely melted before she could finish the cone and she had the red and blue frosting all over herself! (Thank goodness for Spray n' Wash!)

It was a busy evening, but it was a great one - spent with all four of my favorite people! And Spencer said he had a great time - and really that's all that matters!

Birthday Surprise

2011-05-26T13:56:00.015-05:00

On Friday, we let Spencer open his birthday presents because we would be attending one of the gifts on Saturday afternoon.He first opened a Star Wars t-shirt and book that he had wanted.....

And then he saw the tickets! We bought tickets to attend the Kids Lego Fest at the Minneapolis Convention Center. I bought the tickets at the end of March when a friend told me about the event. David and I thought that would be a perfect gift for Spencer. Within a few weeks, Spencer heard about the event and was asking to go. I had to make excuses that we couldn't! I felt so bad lying about the tickets!

Saturday afternoon, I left Gianna with my mom and Edmee. Gemma, Spencer and I were then on our way to the main event. (David was going to meet us after reserves.)
We also met up with my best friend, Hoa and her family. All four children had a great time. They had a lot of areas set-up for the kids to play with Legos.
We also saw some really cool creations - all made from Legos.
Spencer loves Legos and Star Wars. There is nothing better, in his eyes, than combining the two!
David suggested making an anchor. Once he saw Gemma at work, he decided to get into the act too!
Gemma decided to take a break and get her hair done. Here she is before.

During.

And here is her after! A teased, side pony-tail with blue spray paint!
While Gemma was getting her hair done, Spencer, Chase and Ben complete their ginormous green climbing wall.

While the kids were busy building with the dads, Hoa and I wandered around and found a "class" the kids could take with a "Lego Master". Essentially, a Lego Master is a grown up who gets paid to play with Legos! (Most 9 year-old boys ideal job!). However, space was limited and sign-up began 30 minutes prior to class. The first time we tried to sign up, the class filled up in 5 minutes. So, I decided to stand in line and wait 30 minutes before sign-up to get the kids a spot.
After listening to the Lego Master, he sent the kids to work stations to build. The kit had directions, but he was encouraging the kids to make "modifications".
Gemma and Spencer had a lot of fun. However, after almost four hours, the grown-ups were ready for something else to do! : )

I was able to get one group photo of the kids and then we were off to dinner. The Kids Fest wasn't what I was expecting, but ultimate the kids enjoyed it. We were able to spend time together and even see some great friends that we don't see enough of - over all an almost perfect day! (Perfect would have included Gianna, but I knew she would have had more fun with Bamma and titi Edmee.)

*I should note, on the way home I asked Spencer if he liked his gift. He said no and paused. Which gave me a minor knot in my stomach. Then he screamed, "I loved it!". Thank goodenss!

Happy Birthday, Spencer!

2011-05-24T00:00:00.000-05:00

My baby boy is 9 years old today!

Happy birthday to my favorite boy!

You are such a sweet and loving boy and I'm so glad you're mine! (And daddy's too!)

Daddy and I are so proud of the young man you are growing into.

You're a great brother to both of your sisters. Though you could practice a little more patience with the littlest sister! ; )

Daddy and I love you so very much!

Gianna's Last Day of School

2011-05-17T21:30:00.004-05:00

Today marked Gianna's last day of pre-school.

Sept 2010

When Gianna started school in September, she wasn't fully potty-trained and had just moved from our bedroom to Gemma's room in her own bed. She loved her first day of school, but there were a couple of days she wasn't too sure about going. However, by the end of the month she was fully potty-trained and loving school.

May 17, 2011

I was so nervous sending her to school last fall. I knew she would thrive since she is such a social and friendly little girl, but I had no idea just how much she would grow! Now, Gianna knows her alphabet, is starting to write her name and draws people with faces. She loves school and looks forward to each Tuesday and Thursday to see her teachers and her friends.

I am so proud of my little girl!

Picnic

2011-05-16T14:26:00.002-05:00

Gianna decided to eat al-fresco today. Nothing fancy, just some chicken fingers and macoroni and cheese.
But everything tastes better when you eat outside on a beautiful spring day!

Preview

2011-05-11T21:16:00.000-05:00

The girls had pictures tonight for dance. Here is a preview!

Mother's Day

2011-05-08T21:16:00.001-05:00

Mother's Day didn't turn out exactly as planned.

David had a flight to catch at 1:30, (Navy) so we were going to have breakfast and then head to the airport. However, the plan changed when Gianna woke us up at 6am complaining of a tummy ache. While David was taking care of the little one I was dealing with a full blown migraine.

David ended up on the couch snuggling Gianna and I was laying in bed wishing the damn birds singing outside would shut-up.

I finally got out of bed around 10am and took a shower. I still had a throbbing headache, but was able to tolerate light.

We decided to go to breakfast - which by the time we arrived was lunch. Gemma gave me a beautiful card that she made for me and made me cry.

Spencer gave also gave me a plant and a sweet card. Gianna wasn't feeling so well and fell asleep in David's arms.

After the restaurant we left for the airport. Once we were back at home, I let the kids play Wii and took an hour nap. By 4pm, I finally felt better!

First Holy Communion

2011-05-07T20:42:00.000-05:00

I wasn't able to edit or crop any photos.

Today was a very big day for our family; Gemma and Spencer made their First Holy Communion!

Here are the children before we left for church.

And here is the family at the church. We arrived early and decided to take advantage! If you look closely at Gianna, you'll see she brought Sleeping Beauty and insisted she be in the photo!
Here is the group photo with Father Kevin and Sister Joan. Only 13 children made their First Communion on Saturday, but there are actually 47 children who will make the sacrament over the next four masses!

I took a few photos of the children making the procession into church, but I didn't use a flash and they didn't turn out so well. However, I used the flash on this one! Gemma was one of four children that was asked to bring the gifts into church. She was carrying the Holy Water.
I love this picture! This was right after Spencer drank the wine. I was just surprised he didn't make a face. I had told the children it was OK to drink the wine - or even to just put the cup up to their lips and pretend to sip it. I guess Spencer decided to just go for it! ; )
Grandpa, Nona and the kids after Mass. Spencer was so hot during Mass, he couldn't wait to take off his jacket.

Gemma with her Godparents.

Spencer and Judy, his Godmother. John was his Godfather.

Since we chose the Saturday afternoon Mass, we invited everyone to our house to celebrate. The children couldn't get out of their dress clothes fast enough. We had a wonderful time and were so glad to celebrate this special moment with our families!

Lunch With Daddy

2011-05-04T19:25:00.001-05:00

We finally had a nice spring day today, so Gianna and I decided to meet David for lunch in the park. After we finished eating lunch, we decided to take advantage of the nice, but windy, weather.
Gianna rode her scooter.
Then she chased after the birds. She couldn't understand why they kept flying away from her. I think it could have had something to do with her running at them and yelling "Come here birdie!".
Then we found some of the Peanut statues and decided to pose with them.
It was only an hour lunch, but it was a nice hour to spend with two of my favorite people!

WTF

2011-05-02T12:29:00.001-05:00

No picture - sorry mom.

I had to send the kids to school today in their WINTER COATS!

IT'S MAY 2ND!

Mother Nature, please let spring come to us......

82

2011-04-29T00:30:00.002-05:00

daddy and me in puerto rico - circa 1978

Happy 82nd birthday daddy.

I love you.

Crazy Hair Day

2011-04-27T09:30:00.002-05:00

Today, the children's school deemed it "Crazy Hair Day". Actually, it was the student council....

Here was my attempt at "crazy hair".
Both my photography and hair dressing skills are lacking.
I spiked Spencer's hair with gel and then spray-painted his faux-hawk orange.
Gemma wanted a bun - which was easy. Then she wanted extra clips - no problem.
The tricky part was adding the pencils. And then I added orange strips.....pretty crazy!

Dentist - Take Three

2011-04-25T15:01:00.002-05:00

You can click here for take one and here for take two.

They say that "three times is a charm" and I think that may be true for Gianna and the dentist.
This morning Gianna went to the dentist and had all of her teeth counted and cleaned!!!!!!
She may have had some incentive though....I had promised Gianna an ice cream cone if she had all of her teeth cleaned. (She only managed four teeth at her last appointment). David and I don't normally bribe our kids, but desperate times call for desperate measures. (I mention it here and here.)
Here is the happy patient after her cleaning, looking at the loot she picked from the treasure box.

A promise is a promise!

My happy little girl looking a little crazy with her "ginormous" ice cream cone! I'm hoping our next visit we're able to do without promising any extra treats! : )

Easter Sunday

2011-04-24T21:26:00.005-05:00

Here we are on Easter morning after church. The kids were complaining the sun was too bright, so we used the tree for the shade. Then they started complaining that it was too chilly! Oh well! You can't have everything! By the way, notice Gianna's arm in the above photo? She was "posing".
I promised the kids a "silly" photo after our family one, but Spencer was too chilly. Gemma just wanted to wear her hat. She is growing up too fast.

Gianna allowed me to be in her silly photo. She is too goofy!

After our photo shoot, David and I had to finish cooking a few dishes to bring to Judy's for Easter dinner. With such a large extended family, pot-luck is the way to go!

When we arrived, we saw some strange things outside.....

If you click on the photos, you'll see that there were Easter eggs everywhere! The last few years, we've celebrated Easter at Gino and Linda's house and the Easter Bunny usually leaves a few treats for the kids. Well, this year, the bunny knew we'd be at Judy's! Here is last year's post and here is the 2009 post. You can really see how they've grown!

After we ate, the kids headed out side to hunt for eggs!
Spencer couldn't get out of the door fast enough!
David did a time delay start - smallest to biggest!

The required group shot. I couldn't get them to look at me at the same time, but they all look happy! Gianna was too interested in counting her eggs!
When we got home, our neighbor was enjoying the beautiful weather and decided to go for a drive in his Mustang. Gianna couldn't get out of the van fast enough to ask Jonas for a ride. She loves this car - and really enjoys playing with Jonas.
Jonas noticed I had a camera and stopped for me to take this photo. I asked him to put his arm around Gianna - I thought this would be perfect for the slideshow at their wedding! : )

We really had a great Easter.

Gemma's Party

2011-04-23T23:15:00.007-05:00

Gemma celebrated her 10th birthday with some friends at a local roller rink on Saturday. They had a great time and kept busy with skating and playing in the fun zone, (an indoor play structure).

I started having the kids parties out of the house when they turned 6 years old. It makes life so much easier!!!

Gemma before her guests arrived.

All of the kids having parties that day.

This was Gemma's awesome birthday cake! It was made by a co-worker of David's who bakes as a hobby. Gemma actually helped design the cake. She gave the woman her ideas and then this is what it turned into! We had many people stop by and comment on the cake.

Gemma and cousin Joshua.

Gemma and Spencer

Party guests.

Daddy and his baby girl.

Australian Visitors

2011-04-22T12:52:00.004-05:00

Earlier this month, David's Uncle Remo and cousin Gianna came to visit all the way from Australia. They stayed with David's parents, so we were able to visit with them frequently. However, we didn't manage to get a photo with them until just a few days before they were scheduled to leave.Our little Gianna of course wanted nothing to do with the photo. However, this is when David and I have to get creative with our parenting.

We are not the kind of parents that believe in bribing. However, there are certain times when we do. David promised Gianna a tootsie roll in exchange for a photo. : )

April Snow

2011-04-22T12:40:00.004-05:00

These photos were taken on April 16, 2011.
If these were taken in January or Feburay, I would say they're beautiful photos.

However, since it was April, I have to say.........it was sickening!!!!Go away winter!

If you click here, you'll see a post from this time last year. Notice the green grass and Gianna wearing a short sleeve shirt and skirt!!!!!

Sleeping

2011-04-22T12:30:00.002-05:00

Gemma went to a birthday party a few weeks ago and was given a sleeping mask as one of the party favors. She's worn it to sleep almost every night since she received it. However, Gianna has manage to "borrow" it a few times. Here is Gianna modeling it for me before bed time. I was sure that once she was put to bed, she would take it off.

However, when I went to check on her about 30 minutes later, this is what I found. A sleeping Gianna with her mask on! Adorable!

(I should note, Gemma went shopping last weekend with Bamma and Titi Evelyn and stopped at Claire's to purchase Gianna her own mask!)

Gemma's Birthday

2011-04-21T19:38:00.003-05:00

On April 10th, but baby girl turned 10 years old! Where has the time gone???

Before we left for church that morning, I took some photos of the kids. However, I did this while David was showering - so he isn't in any photos....what was I thinking?

In the afternoon we went to The Outback Steakhouse with the grandparents, Titi Evelyn and visiting relatives from Australia. After a yummy dinner, we came home for cake and ice cream. Gemma will be celebrating her birthday with friends this weekend - I'll be sure to post those photos in much more timely manner! ; )

Assembly

2011-04-17T21:40:00.005-05:00

At the end of each month Gemma and Spencer's school holds a monthly assembly. Awards are given and usually one of the classes performs - either a song or poem. For the March assembly, Gemma's class sang a song. Unfortunately the video won't upload to blogger, so I can't share.

While at the same assembly, Gemma along with 6 other children were recognized for their participation in Destination Imagination. Children in 4th and 5th grade had to try out in the fall to be chosen for a team of seven. (Gemma was one of 50 children that tried out!) The team met weekly starting in November to prepare for a competition in March. Gemma's team didn't win over-all, but they did a great job and had a lot of fun working together.

Here is a photo of the D.I. kids.

Another Spring Break Outing

2011-04-17T21:04:00.004-05:00

Another outing during spring break week was to the Children's Museum. It's hard to believe we've been visiting this museum since Gemma was around two years old! The kids always like to play in the grocery store. Spencer had fun playing cashier and took his job seriously! ; )
Gemma came over and helped when he needed back-up! What a good sister.
Gianna had fun in the grocery store, but decided to run over to the restaurant. She was busy cooking, but took time to take my order!
The museum had a new exhibit - LEGOS!!! We spent over an HOUR in this exhibit - I'm pretty sure I could have left Spencer in here for a few hours and he wouldn't have noticed.
Gemma had fun dressing up and jousting with some kids.
Spencer and his best friend NEVER left this spot at the table. It was so cute to watch them work together.

Gianna spent a lot of time running around, but finally settled in this area for quite some time. She was trying to build her own castle, so I had to convince her to work on building some walls. As you can see from her expression, she was having fun!

Spring Break

2011-04-17T21:00:00.000-05:00

This is a post that should have been done weeks ago...

The kids were on spring break last month and we managed to do a few fun things. We decided to spend one day at the Minnesota Zoo with some friends. We lucked out with the weather - it was over-cast but not cold. And the crowds were at the minimum!

We saw lots of animals and had lots of fun running around the zoo.
I brought the stroller, but Gianna spent most of the time walking - and loved it.

Golden Birthday

2011-04-10T00:01:00.001-05:00

Happy 10th birthday to my first baby.

Daddy and I love you so very much and are so very proud of you and the young lady you are becoming!

36

2011-03-21T20:58:00.000-05:00

Sweet Moments

2011-03-19T19:04:00.006-05:00

This is what I saw earlier this afternoon. Gemma was at a play-date, but Spencer and Gianna decided to pass the time reading!

Indoor Soccer

2011-03-19T13:29:00.004-05:00

Spencer isn't really into sports. However, we can't just let him read books and play with his Legos all day long. When Gemma asked to play volleyball, I found out they had indoor soccer leagues too. I didn't really ask Spencer if he wanted to play - I just told him.

When he found out that David was going to coach, he warmed up to the idea a little more. : )

Today was the second game of the session (it's 6 weeks long). David has reserves this weekend and wasn't sure if he would be able to make the game....but he did! Spencer was so excited that he could make it and the kids thought it was cool that he was in uniform.

Here's my little soccer player running up the field.
And here an action shot! I think the boy in blue actually kicked the ball - I'm just glad Spencer was giving it his all!

Field Trip

2011-03-17T16:19:00.005-05:00

Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending a field trip to the Minnesota Zoo with Spencer. The weather was perfect (in the 50's), though most of the time we were indoors. Either way, it was such a treat to spend time with Spencer!
Here is my group of boys (there was another mom in our group) at Discovery Bay waiting for our trip on the Monorail.

We were able to see so many animals because of the Monorail. The kids loved it! I love this bear. I think he had recently woken up because we saw him stretching - too cute! Besides, doesn't his expression scream, "I need coffee..."??

I loved the camels! This one was trying to get a snack from the bark on the trees, but I guess the zookeeper decided to prevent that from happening. All of the trees were covered in mesh.
Another shot of our group - we were exploring some of the outside exhibits before lunch.

After lunch we found this deck and stayed outside for about 10 minutes enjoying the sun until we had to go to a class to learn about the tropical rain forests.

The class was our last stop at the zoo. We learned about the rain-forests and why they are important to us....even all the way in Minnesota. We also had the opportunity to see two animals from the rain-forest; the first was a Hissing Cockroach from Madagascar (I took a photo, but it was blurry) and then we saw this lizard. Apparently it's called a "Skank". The only time I've heard that word, it's been used in a very derogatory context, so I may have chuckled when the instructor said it. : )

I had a great time and was so happy to spend the day with my favorite boy!

(Special thanks to Evelyn for keeping Gianna so I could attend the field trip!)

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2011-03-17T12:58:00.005-05:00

Bump, Set, Spike!

2011-03-15T14:41:00.006-05:00

A few weeks ago Gemma noticed a posting at the Rec Center (where she does dance) for volleyball and asked if she could sign-up. Normally, David and I don't like the kids having more than one activity at a time, but now that they are getting a little older and it's only a 6 week season, we decided to relax our rule.

Monday night was her first game - and she did great!
I am so proud of Gemma's willingness to try something she's never done before and put 110% effort into it!
Can't wait for her next game next week!

Round 2

2011-03-09T14:43:00.005-06:00

Gemma is on round two of anti-biotics for strep throat.

She finished 10 days of amoxicillin on Sunday and started complaining about her throat again yesterday. The school nurse called at noon today (I was planning on taking her to the doctor after school) and said her throat didn't look good and a lot of children were having bouts with a second round of strep throat.

Let's hope this medicine does the trick!

Thankful

2011-03-07T11:18:00.002-06:00

Gianna has been eating lunch while sitting on the living room floor with a breakfast tray for the last few weeks. Sometimes she watches cartoons, other days she just listens to the radio (like today).

However, when I placed the tray in front of her today, she said something that she hasn't said before...."Thanks, cooker". I guess she thinks I'm her "staff".

At least she remembered to be thankful!

Girls Night Out

2011-03-05T14:53:00.003-06:00

Friday night, the girls and I went to see Disney Princesses on Ice (thanks to Bamma)! I think this is the first time that we've truly had a girls night out! Here we are before leaving for the show - I love how it looks like Gemma is trying to push Gianna out of the picture. Nothing but love in this house!
When we arrived, we took our seats - which happened to be just steps away from the ice! The girls - especially Gemma, couldn't believe how great our seats were. And in just a few minutes the show opened with Aladdin and Jasmine. Please note Gianna's pose - she thinks she's a model!
The girls had a great time and couldn't take their eyes off of the show. I couldn't help but watch them and see their excitement.
I was able to get a few shots of the show. Here is my favorite Disney Princess - Belle.
Ariel has always been another one of my favorites. Gemma really likes her too.
After Ariel performed there was an intermission. We wandered around and found a stand that had a bunch of unnecessary and overpriced junk for sale. Under orders (and financing) from Bamma, each child was to get a toy of their choice....

They each chose a light up toy - Gemma was picked an Ariel wand and Gianna chose Cinderella, which happens to be her favorite. After spending $40 (which was about $30 more than I would be willing to pay), we walked back to our seats to finish up the show.

They saved the best for last....Cinderella! Gianna was over the moon with her - I thought her little arm was going to fall off from all of the waving!

The show was great and the girls had so much fun. Within 20 minutes of leaving the show and getting to the car, Gianna was sound asleep. I was able to get her in the house, in her bed and change her into pajamas WITHOUT waking her! I'm sure she had some sweet dreams!

Can't wait for another Girls Night Out!

Bad Blogger

2011-03-02T13:11:00.006-06:00

Ok, so I've been a horrible blogger the past few months.

I'll try to fix that with this post...

A couple of weekends ago, David and I went to Las Vegas to meet up with his best friend from childhood and wife so the boys could celebrate their 40th birthdays. It was the first time for us in Vegas and we had a great time.

We gambled (and lost), ate, saw shows, visited The Hoover Dam and walked the strip - twice. We had great weather and even better company - and thanks to my mom and Evelyn we knew our little ones were safe and sound at home.

Here are some photos from our fun-filled weekend....

Waiting for our flight out of MSP.

In our room at The Venetian.

Us at The Price Is Right! Not a great photo, but David won $10 gift card!

Us with performers in The Venetian - we are INDOORS in this photo!

Waiting for The Penn&Teller show to begin.

Meet and greet after the show!

Us with Teller and David's best-friend and his wife.

In Mc Donald's - as close as I'll get to Old Blue Eyes!

Our tour bus stopped at the famous Vegas sign for a photo-op.

The Hoover Dam. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.

David is standing in Nevada taking a photo of me in Arizona.

A ceiling in the Bellagio. Just beautiful! It's all Venetian glass!

David on The Brooklyn Bridge

Me trying to pose like Marie Osmond in the photo over my head.

Hello Kitty and me - this was for Gianna.

On top of The Eiffel Tower

Waiting for our ride back to the airport.

Happy Birthday!

2011-02-22T11:40:00.002-06:00

David in Las Vegas at The Venetian.

Happy 40th birthday to my wonderful husband!

Love you sweetie!

Science Fair

2011-02-10T21:15:00.004-06:00

Gemma and Spencer participated in the science fair again. You can click here for last years post.

Gemma's project was a "how to" on paper making. This fall when she was at the Renaissance Festival she was able to make paper and found it really interesting. That's when she decided it would be her project.

(Notice the title of her project, "Pulp Non-Fiction". It was David's idea! )

Gemma made paper at home and brought the finished product with her. But she wanted to demonstrate the process. She really thrives on the energy of others - she always had a group around her asking questions and wanting a try at the paper making!

Spencer's project was on aerodynamics. Specifically how drag affected his Hot-wheels cars in a wind tunnel. He and David had a lot of fun with this project and Spencer was so proud of his work!Judging took place during the day and awards were given in the evening. Imagine our surprise when both Gemma and Spencer earned awards! Gemma was given one for "Best Environmental Theme" and Spencer's was for "Best Over-all Project"! David and I were so proud of the kids - but more importantly they were proud of themselves!

Way to go kids! : )

Winter Carnival

2011-01-27T21:03:00.004-06:00

The third graders performed at the last award assembly at school - so of course Gianna and I were there!
After the assembly, we all lined up in the hallways to watch The Winter Carnival Parade. Unfortunately I didn't get great pictures of the floats.

I know this was a pathetic post, but I just haven't been in a blogging kinda mood lately. Hopefully that will change!

More Gifts

2011-01-25T12:57:00.003-06:00

My nephew Stephen and his wife Amanda who live in Kansas, sent Christmas gifts to the kids. They were given the movie Despicable Me (which has been watched too many times to count already!) and this really cool stargazer book.

Thank you so much for thinking of us and sending the great gifts!

(This post is about 3 weeks late.....)

Christmas Gifts

2011-01-25T12:47:00.002-06:00

Yes, we are alive.

The kids were each given gift-cards from a couple of family members for Christmas. Just two days after Christmas, the kids and I went to Target to spend the money. Here is what they bought.....
Gemma found a princess cake and kitchen set - both on clearance! That's my girl!

Spencer bought another Lego set.....shocker!

And Gianna bought a Barbie and matching dress-up dress. She already had the movie, so she was very excited when she stumbled on these. I should note - her purchases were also on clearance!
And just about an hour later Spencer had completed building his new Lego set!

Pinewood Derby Races

2011-01-21T21:14:00.002-06:00

Since Spencer joined Boy-scouts in September, he has repeatedly talked about participating in the Pinewood Derby Races. This has actually been on his mind since watching Joshua race last year!

Tonight was his night. David and Spencer worked on his car for the past month. It started out as a block of wood and was transformed into a racing machine! I should note, David also helped Joshua and Gemma (siblings are allowed to race) build cars too.

And here is Spencer accepting his trophy for 1st place!!! After five races - he was undefeated!
I love this photo - after Spencer received his trophy, he immediately extended his hand! His Pack-leader wasn't expecting it!
Here are David and the boys with the cars. The car that David is holding was for Gemma - however it was disqualified the night before during the check-in process. Unfortunately it wasn't something that could be easily fixed so Gemma ended up racing Joshua's car from last year!

My boys!

Word is - since he won his Packs race, he now gets to race in the District races!

2010 In Pictures

2010-12-31T18:54:00.001-06:00

Since everyone seems to be doing year-end lists, I thought I would do one too. I went through all of my photos and picked one for each month. Not because it was the best photo, but for what it represented that month....
January started with me flying to DC for a weekend get-away with just David. It was wonderful and wouldn't have happened without the help of my mom, Evelyn and Edmee who kept the kids safe and happy while I was away.
In February we started "Skypeing" with David. Even though we talked frequently it meant so much for him and the kids to see each other. They really enjoyed it.
In March we celebrated St. Patrick's Day. And by celebrate, I mean we wore green. I just really liked this picture of the kids together.
In April my first baby turned nine years old. We spent the afternoon at the Mall of America having lunch and playing at Magiquest. It was a great day.
In May, David surprised the kids with a trip home over Mother's Day weekend. They loved having him home.
And just six weeks later in June, he flew home again, but this time to help us drive back with him to spend the rest of the summer in DC. It was awesome.
In July we had our family pictures taken by an extremely talented photographer. I am so glad I had these done! The best souvenir ever!

In August marked the end of our stay in DC. This was the afternoon we left the apartment for Norfolk, VA. The car was BEYOND packed.
September was Gianna's third birthday. We decided to do a DC themed party. Here is the infamous cake....
David started running while he was out east. He ran a 5K in October called the Monster Dash - he didn't dress up in costume, but the kids did!
In November, our nephew Gabrin was baptized and David and I were asked to be his godparents.
And December, our family under one roof celebrating Christmas. May 2011 be just as blessed as 2010!

13 Years

2010-12-31T00:00:00.000-06:00

Christmas Day

2010-12-26T15:46:00.001-06:00

Christmas morning the children woke up at 6:45....obviously they couldn't wait to see what Santa had brought them. They did as we asked...came to wake us BEFORE heading to the living room. Imagine Gemma's and Spencer's surprise when they found a Wii waiting for them from Santa!!!!After going crazy over the Wii the kids continued on to the stockings that Santa filled with little gifts.
Each child received two books (along with other odds and ends).
And each child has already read each book cover to cover.
I realize for Gianna that isn't a big deal. But Gemma's and Spencer's books were chapter books and were completed by the next day! They love to read! Santa might want to bring a few more books next year!

Next it was time to open presents from David and me. We still had some large boxes from our "move" in August. David had this great idea to wrap all the kids gifts and then put them in the large box and wrap that too. We only set the boxes two days before Christmas....just to get the kids wondering!
Needless to say, the kids were very excited when they had several presents in the big box to unwrap.

The children loved their gifts. And as always, my thoughtful Gemma made gifts for each of us.
Gemma drew coloring pages for Gianna - and when Gianna opened the gift she hugged her big sister! I was so glad I caught it!
And here are our babies after all of the gifts had been opened. Spencer is showing his gift from Gemma! (Yes, Gianna still drinks milk in a bottle in the morning - don't judge.) It was a wonderful Christmas morning!

After cleaning up the after-math, David and I started getting things going in the kitchen for dinner. Mom, Evelyn, Melissa, Abe and the two little ones came for dinner. Since we were so busy in the kitchen, I didn't think to take photos. But the dinner was yummy - prime rib!!!!

oh - I should add - through out the day, Gemma and Spencer would each say under their breath, "I can't believe Santa brought us a Wii!" It was pretty cute!!

Christmas Eve

2010-12-24T21:02:00.008-06:00

Our morning started with a visit to the doctor. Gianna started complaining about her ear the night before and then woke up at 1:30 this morning screaming about her ear. She refused to get dressed, so she went in her pajamas. While waiting for the doctor, Gianna decided to read.
Shortly after this photo was taken, the doctor came in and examined Gianna. Poor thing had a DOUBLE ear infection! So off we went to get her prescription filled!

We quickly ran home and changed so we could go to Judy's house for our Christmas Eve dinner. I think we clean up rather nicely! : )

I failed at taking pictures earlier in the day, but I did get a few gems while the family was doing Christmas karaoke. Amanda and Libby were doing back-up for David and Gino.
Gemma wasn't sure if she wanted to do back-up or just laugh at the girls.

Apparently Gianna wanted to get in on the act too!

As always, we had a great time with David's family. Then it was time to go home and get ready for bed.
Gemma and Spencer set out milk and cookies for Santa.

And we moved the stockings to the fireplace.

Gianna wasn't interested in the cookies or in posing for pictures. Her double ear infection gave her a "pass" from the photos! But I'm sure she'll be all smiles for Christmas morning!

Merry Christmas

2010-12-24T00:00:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas from our family to yours....

Christmas in the Country

2010-12-18T20:11:00.003-06:00

Saturday we went to Edmee and Howard's house to celebrate Christmas. We received word late Friday that Santa was to be making a special appearance at the local library. We surprised the kids (and Bamma) with the stop - Gianna wasn't really interested in seeing him. We were lucky to sneak her into this photo! The kids did some arts and crafts and then we decided to continue the last two miles of our drive to Edmee's.
We had a wonderful time. The kids were spoiled as usual and the food was really yummy. Before we opened presents, we had the little ones sit together...two of mine aren't really "little ones" anymore. : (

Gemma and Spencer each received a boom-box and CD's! They were huge hits with the kids!
Here's Gianna opening her bag of goodies. She received a Leapster and loves it (along with quite of few other treats!). We have a hard time getting it out of her hands! We had a great visit and are looking forward to the next family gathering.

Thanks for hosting Edmee! : )

Smiley Face

2010-12-16T20:30:00.001-06:00

This post is more for me to remember.

Gianna recently started drawing faces and I wanted to keep this somewhere safe to remember.

Two little eyes and a mouth. It's a start!

Student of the Month

2010-12-16T18:59:00.002-06:00

It was "Bring you stuffed animal to school day" and Spencer was making sure his little bear would make it in the photo!

Couldn't be more proud of my student of the month!

Christmas Program

2010-12-14T20:29:00.005-06:00

Gianna had her first Christmas program at preschool on Tuesday night. And it was absolutely adorable! The last time the kids performed was in November and Gianna wanted NOTHING to do with it. She just sat with us and had no interest in participating. However things went very differently this time.

When we arrived at church she went straight to her teacher and sat with the children from her class. Gemma, Spencer and I went upstairs to wait for her big entrance and to wait for David (he was stuck in traffic). David arrived in time to see the pre-schoolers make their procession into the church - and when Gianna saw her daddy she was soooo excited! She kept waving and saying "Hi daddy!".
This is an awful photo, but this shows how excited Gianna was. It also shows how much she really wanted her daddy to see her! : )
She did a great job! She sang a few songs and waved. She even held baby Jesus while the pastor told the Christmas story. Gianna was very proud!
Here she is on the way out of the church. Can you tell she was excited to see us??? : )
Here we are waiting for our turn to exit and collect our little girl.
Since Gianna's program was at 5:30, we didn't have time for dinner. After her show we went for Chinese! (Can you tell someone was tired of having her photo taken?) Either way, it was a great night! Can't wait for her next performance! : )

Birthday Dinner

2010-12-12T21:24:00.002-06:00

Despite the 17 plus inches of snow that started falling on Friday night, we managed to get out of the house on Sunday evening to celebrate Chris' 4oth birthday at our favorite restaurant! We had a wonderful time and are looking forward to our next gathering!

Santa Visit - Continued

2010-12-07T19:06:00.011-06:00

I already posted the family Santa photo, but I thought I should add the photos from earlier that day.

Every year we go to Macy's in Minneapolis to see the Christmas display. (Our 2008 visit and 2009 visit.) When Macy's was Dayton's, they would go all out. The displays were amazing. One year was Harry Potter, another was Mary Poppins and even Babar. However, the past two or three years, Macy's has been recycling the same display. Oh well, the kids still had fun!

We arrived around 12:30 on Saturday and expected long lines and lots of people. However, we were pleasantly surprised when it was quite the opposite! (We did get 8 inches of snow overnight, so maybe some people were trying to dig themselves out?) Because of the lack of people, I was able to get some cute photos of the kids - and they almost cooperated!

While walking through the display "A Day In The Life of an Elf", we ran into an elf who happily posed for a picture. Gianna was MIA - she wanted nothing to do with the elf. At this point - she was already nervous about the Santa picture.

After the display we stood in line for Santa. In years past, we've waited 20 to 30 minutes. This year....maybe five minutes!
I told the kids to give my an "annoyed" expression - Spencer could only smile!

After our family photo, the kids spent some time with Santa.

We wished Santa a Merry Christmas and were off to our next stop....COOKIES!!!

After we ate our treats we went over to Santa's Workshop - it's really a little store with a bunch of over priced toys and treats - which we bought NONE of! (We had already spent a small fortune on the photos and cookies.)
A table is set up with paper and crayons for the kids to write letters to Santa. Gemma was the only one who wanted to do it!
We spent some time in the store looking at the toys, but eventually we had to pull the kids out of the store. Fortunately no one was kicking or screaming! : )

But our day of fun wasn't over yet....we were going sledding! Unfortunately, I couldn't bring the camera with my - but trust me, we had a blast!

Santa Visit

2010-12-04T19:56:00.000-06:00