Game on...be it basketball or cupcake eating!

Jacob had his first Basketball game last Friday and let me just say, he has some moves. NO idea, I mean absolutly no idea what he is doing, but he had the best time ever and ran like a pro and acted as he was blocking everything in site. It was great. In fact, one time the coach blew his whistle and on the video that we have, you see Jacob stomping his foot as though he was saying, 'oh man'. Then he proceeded to do everything with his hands that the coach did, including wiping his nose. It was so hilarious and we had the greatest time. Oh yes, I forgot to tell you that I signed Robb up to help coach. He was a great sport about it all and he did a great job.













Now, that leads us to the other little one in the house. Isabella and Jacob recently attended Thier cousins third birthday party where They had a fantastic time. They had a Princess tea and Isabella managed to enjoy every ounce of sugar that she ate, including the cupcake that she was trying to devour before her brother came over to eat only the frosting. It was a fun time and nice to see all the kiddos enjoying themselves. That's our girl!

Recap - DISNEY-mania!

Left Shangri La (that is what we affectionately call our apartment) a week ago last Saturday with freezing cold weather and some snow on the ground and entered into the world where acting silly is a requirement, carrying magic wands and pirate swords is a must, following pixie dust isn’t some 60’s bad dream, and seeing exotic animals from your hotel window is normal and the was sun shining and 80 degrees…..only to enter the Mouse’s House of Disney.

We spent 8 wonderful nights at the Animal Kingdom Lodge in Walt Disney World resorts. We park hopped every day, dined with a Princess and her Fairy God Mother as well as the big cheese himself and his friends, watched parades, marched in a parade, saw unbelievable fireworks most every night, met up with friends whom we traveled to China with (that really are considered family), stayed up late, acted like kids….(each and everyone of us), watched zebra, giraffe, and ostriches alike outside our hotel window each morning, and swam outside in January.

It was our first family trip out of state on an airplane as a family of four. Robb nor the kids have ever ventured into the world of Magic and dreams coming true….only to experience the BEST vacation we have EVER had. Our entire family are believers now, there really is some kind of Magic there, Fairy Dust really does make you fly and milk coming out of your nose doesn't get you in trouble - you just giggle. If we could go back tomorrow we would.

The best way to sum up this trip is a pictorial view of the vacation and the expressions on the kid’s faces tells the entire story. We highly, highly recommend it if you have never been of it you have, go again. From our house to yours……you and never to young or to old to go. As a good friend told me, it’s a different trip, vacation, experience, and/or park each time you enter the world of Magic and Dreams based on your children’s ages.

Happy New Year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!

I feel like it was just the 2000, when everyone was freaking out with a bit of concern that maybe everything would come to halt as the new millennium rolled over. Not us, we had a Pajama Party - Shrimp Boil. Everyone wore their PJ’s, we covered the table with mounds of shrimp, corn, and potatoes…ate, drank, brought in the New Year with friends, family, and fireworks. Was it really 8 years ago?

This year wasn’t much different. We kind of bombarded on some friends (invited ourselves over accidentally, by running by their house to pick up some things they have been storing for us), cooked them some dinner, and brought in the New Year together. Difference from then to now, we are all parents, so the noise level came from the kiddos and the drinking was minimal. None the less, it was great. We toasted at midnight, danced to Auld Lang Syne, and made some resolutions to be better parents, better friends, better spouses, better neighbors, eat healthier, move more, watch less television, better to our planet, and just be an all around better person. You know the saying, ‘when you know better you do better’.

I love the whole “fresh new start" thing that comes with the New Year. Robb and I have been talking and we want to make this year awesome. We want to live life to the fullest, do a little more as a family unit, and maybe fly by the seat of our pants just a little more. We have many, many, new changes happening this year – We are in the midst of packing for one of my all time dream vacations (taking the kids to Disney), I have gone back to work part time and am loving it, Jacob will start Kindergarten, we WILL move into a house (working really hard on that right now…we have a place we like, a builder we like, and house plans we are loving), Isabella will begin pre-school, and someone I know…will be turning 40!

We hope you are all ready for one heck of a great year. We know we are. We wish you a new year of opportunity, a new year of hope, life, growth, adventure, challenges, and certainly a new year to remember…so here’s to 2008! May it be all that you imagine, hope and dream it to be!