It's All Good(win)

2011-11-20T19:18:00.001-08:00

We Will Always Remember.

2011-09-11T00:01:00.000-07:00

Where were you on September 11th? It's one of those defining moments in our lives that we'll never forget.

Did you scrapbook a page about that historical day? If not, you should consider it. Even if you have no pictures. Write it down. Where were you...who where you with...what were you thinking...how you spent the rest of the day...how it changed your life...and how the memories are still so fresh even after 10 years.

To help with your page of remembrance, we are giving out a FREE 9/11/01 die cut with any purchase, while supplies last.

We honor the thousands of heros lost on September 11, 2001, who knowingly or not, gave up their lives for our freedom. We will always remember.

Yankee Doodles

2011-06-14T07:35:00.000-07:00

In stock now...a new patriotic collection by We R Memory Keepers...Yankee Doodles! Here's a little sneak peek...

End of Summer

2009-08-26T21:05:00.000-07:00

WHERE has the summer gone?!?

Part of me is counting down the hours - and minutes - until school starts on September 8th.

The other part of me is sad that summer is coming to an end. No more lazy days at the beach. No more jammies-till-lunch days.

Soon, there will be football AND soccer practice. Saturday games. Homework. School lunches. Alarm clocks.

Until then, I am going to celebrate our final summer days!

Pool Party with a DOUBLE rainbow!

2009-06-13T05:03:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went to a pool party! I didn't get too many good shots as most of the boys were running too fast or jumping off the diving board too high (I cut off a lot of heads in my pictures). But here's a few :)

The pool and yard were absolutely beautiful...LOVED this poolside planter!

Marisa and Avery :)

Colby with a torpedo (for diving games) in one hand and a squirt gun in the other.

My little buddy Liam after a meal of carrots.
Ethan strikes such a good diving pose!

Okay...check out these awesome rainbow shots. In the first one, you can actually see a DOUBLE rainbow...look closely in the upper right corner, above the full rainbow. It didn't last long, but it was beautiful. Plus, it was the first time I'd ever seen a double one! I made a wish...let's hope it comes true :)

Pictures from Easter

2009-06-07T20:21:00.000-07:00

Here's the 'problem'...I take so many pictures that it's sometimes overwhelming to pick out my favorites and post them! I was looking for something else tonight when I came across these pictures from Easter. We have a tradition of going to my in-laws house for an Easter Egg Hunt and Easter dinner. They've got an amazing backyard - lots of good hiding places! The kids have a fabulous time hunting eggs, climbing trees, jumping off benches, fishing and getting chased by Gigi (Jason's mom...her name is Colleen but the grandkids call her Gigi). As for the adults...it's a great time to catch up!

The last picture is of all the cousins...these Kodak moments don't happen too often so, for that reason, it is one of my favorite photos. Every Easter, I try to take the same picture, on the same swing, so that you can see how much they've grown.

And, if you've ever tried to get a GOOD picture of 7 kids, then you know why I had to bribe them with money :)

Sports, sports and more sports

2009-06-04T13:16:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love that both kids are in sports, but I am ready for a break! Marisa just finished her soccer season (go Monkeys!), and Colby only has a few weeks left of baseball. Four practices during the week and 2 games every Saturday (throw in a few week night baseball games) were killin' me!

As I type this, I'm reminded that it's already time to sign up for Fall sports. Marisa wants to play soccer again, and Colby is begging me to sign him up for football. Exactly how much padding can I put on him?!?

Happy Anniversary!

2009-05-25T05:20:00.000-07:00

So I was going through files on my computer, trying to find the earliest picture I have of me and Jason. Believe it or not, it's this one...taken in December 2001 at my brother's wedding.

We got our first digital camera at the end of 2000, but all our pictures consist of Colby with EITHER me or Jason, but not both.

I really need to scan an older one. We've been together since Jason was 18 and I was 20. (Yes, I'm older!) YIKES!!! We dated for a loooong time and finally got married in 1997. And, what an incredibly fun wedding it was... :)

Happy 12 years, baby...I love you :)

Good times!

2009-05-23T12:40:00.000-07:00

These pictures are from yesterday...the Friday that officially started summer :)

Greetings from the Sunshine State

2009-04-14T08:15:00.000-07:00

Visited the Kennedy Space Center yesterday. Got to meet a real live astronaut...Jon McBride. Saw the shuttle on the launch pad (it's scheduled to go to the space station in May). Saw lots of cool rockets and movies. More pictures later :)

On Easter Sunday, Colby prayed that he would catch a fish. This proves that God answers prayers!! He was SO very excited and wanted to post this on the blog so his uncle could see the size of the fish!

Check out the size of the ears on this chocolate bunny!

See those plants in the background? They're aloe plants. I've never seen them flower like that...pretty, eh? This is in my grandparent's backyard.

My grandparents, my aunt, mom and the kids on Easter afternoon. Do you see Marisa in a DRESS? She wanted to wear the leggings with it, but nonetheless...it's a DRESS!! She even had sequins on her flops and painted nails! And, she stayed in her dress all day long. What has the world come to?!?

Yesterday was a very bad day...

2009-04-07T05:37:00.000-07:00

7:00 - wake up with GOOD intentions to get LOTS done today.

8:15 - when leaving my neighborhood, my car starts acting funny. I was just hitting empty so I stopped to get gas on the way to work. Have a little trouble starting the car after filling up, but figure it's just a fluke. Make the decision to drive to the store as I'd rather be stuck there than at home :)

8:30 - 10:15 - work and chatted with my coworkers.

10:15 - rush out the door to get to my dentist appointment in time. Car won't start. Thankfully, Susan let me borrow hers.

10:20 - I realize that Susan's inspection sticker says FEBRUARY. I have a mild heart attack since I am a law abiding citizen AND I'm driving right past the police station and the courthouse. Call Susan and yell at her :)

10:30 - Made it to the dentist without getting pulled over, even though I passed 2 men in blue. While I'm in the dentist office, the TV is broadcasting the weather and tornado warnings all over our area. It's nasty outside with heavy downpours and thunder. Nothing like the constant broadcast of tornado warnings to calm your stress from car troubles and illegal driving.

10:40 - I'm told I was scheduled for the wrong dentist. Rescheduled my appointment for later in the month.

10:45 - Pulled up to the service station asking if they could please inspect Susan's car. Told it would be a 90 minute wait. Can't do it as I have to get Marisa off the bus. I'm disgusted by the guy chewing sunflower seeds and spitting the shells on the floor. Pig.

10:50 - Enter my neighborhood where there is a cop RIGHT THERE doing radar. Thankfully he wasn't looking at me!

10:55 - Almost to my house. One of my neighbors, who is probably 106, decides he's going to pull out of his driveway without looking and comes INCHES away from slamming right into the side of Susan's car. Second mild heart attack.

10:56 - Pull in my driveway almost shaking from the thought of replacing Susan's brand new car. Called Jason so he could come rescue me. It would have been easier for Jason just to meet me at the store, but I don't have a car seat for Marisa and I can't take the chance of getting pulled over for an expired sticker AND no car seat. Ugh.

10:56 - 12:30 - Work on some reorders for the store - shopping is always a calming experience! Welcome Marisa and Jason home. Eat lunch. Listen to Jason answer questions for a top secret security clearance interview for a friend. Watch the rain come down like CRAZY outside.

12:30 - Head back to the store to return Susan's car. I made Jason drive in front of me so that I might have a chance of the police not seeing her expired inspection sticker. I prayed that it would rain really hard too so that no cop in his right mind would want to get out of his car :) Drop Susan's car off at an inspection site so she would be legal again.

1:00 - 3:00 - Safely take cover in the store while it pours outside. Poor Jason tries to figure out what is going on with my car and gets SOAKED.

3:00 -4:20 - drive back home in Jason's car to get Colby off the bus. Do homework, answer a few emails. Realize that I have not done a single item on my to do list.

4:20 - drive back to the store (for the 3rd time today - each time in a different car!) and hope that Jason has made some progress.

4:45 - 6:30 - Entertain the kids while Jason consults with my brother on the phone for a last ditch effort to fix my car.

6:30 - After a few trips to the car parts store, they come to the conclusion that it would be best serviced by a professional.

6:45 - Move ALL my scrapbooking stuff (I just went to a crop on Sunday) out of the back of my car into Jason's trunk. Threaten Jason with his life not to get grease on my supplies.

6:50 - Tow truck driver comes. I hand over my keys and $50 for a 2 mile tow.

7:00 - Pile in Jason's car and go to Pungo Pizza. I really want garlic knots, but chose a salad instead.

8:00 - Go to the service center and write a ticket for my poor little car. Wonder how many odd descriptions they must get when people try to describe what's wrong with their cars.

8:15 - Reach in my pocket when Colby asks me for the house keys only to find that they are NOT there. Check my purse, not there. Check my camera bag, not there. SERIOUSLY?!?!

8:30 - 9:00 - Get the kids in bed, distracted by the thought of losing my keys. Called Jody, asked her if she saw my keys when she closed the store. Called Susan, asked her to run up to the store (she lives right there) and double check the counters. Both report that there are no keys there. Meanwhile, I'm checking through all my scrapbook stuff to make sure I didn't drop them in a bag. Search Jason's trunk. Search his car, the seats, the floors. Big fat nothing.

9:00 - Jason volunteers to go out and retrace my steps in hopes of finding them. Both my house key and the store keys are on the ring. Poor Jason still smells like gasoline.

9:05 - Double check all my scrapbooking totes. Empty my purse for the third time. Go through my camera bag AGAIN. Nothing.

9:05 - 10:40 - Jason goes BACK to the store, searches the parking lot, the counters, the sidewalk. Nothing. Goes to Pungo Pizza, searches the parking lot. Goes BACK up to the store to search the office. Nothing. Goes to the service station to search my car. Thankfully he had the foresight to bring the spare set of keys. Nothing.

10:40 - Jason arrives back home, still in the damp and smelly clothes that he was wearing all afternoon. Decides he's going to throw away the trash bag in his car. Shakes it just in case. Hears the sweet sound of keys. Looks. Bingo. In the freakin' trash bag!!! Now, to explain myself. The trash bag handles go around the gear shift and the bag hangs on the passenger side. The keys must have been in my hand when I got in the car and put my purse and camera bag on the floor. I guess the keys came out of my hand and instead of going on the floor with my purse, they fell in the bag. Good grief.

11:00 - Get in bed b/c I just want this day to end. I fell asleep in about 26 seconds.

So, in closing (because this certainly hasn't been long enough!):

- my car is at the station. Guessing it's a feul pump issue. Mechanic says he can't get to it for a couple of days at best.

- my keys are in my purse. I will be guarding them with my life.

- I may need a second job to pay for repairs.

- I am home with no car. I can't even tell you the last time I was alone in my house. It's actually quite peaceful!

- my husband is the best. He took off work, tried his best to fix my car, got soaked, made several trips to the car parts store, tried to let Marisa help him (she got bored), drove all around creation looking for my keys, FOUND my keys, stunk like a gas tank, was filthy dirty and never once complained. I LOVE YOU HONEY!!! Thank you for all that you did :)

Now, back to that to-do list. I've got friends coming to Virginia Beach for a visit today...

Stick 'em up!

2009-03-30T20:25:00.000-07:00

On Friday, Colby had to give an oral presentation at school. Their assignment was to choose a famous American...check out a bibliography from the library...prepare a presentation...dress up...then present it to their classmates and parents as if THEY were that person.

First of all, Colby HATES to dress up. HATES that people will look at him. It totally embarrasses him. So, he had to choose someone who required the least amount of "dress up".

He chose Jesse James, the baddest outlaw of them all. He gave a GREAT presentation and was pretty cute in his dishevelled costume. (Note his misbuttoned shirt and pockets hanging out!)

There were other famous Americans there too...including Tony Hawk, Robert E. Lee, George Washington, Pocahantas, Helen Keller, Betsy Ross, and Hanna Montana!

Happy Birthday Maddy!

2009-03-29T09:50:00.001-07:00

Tis the season of birthday parties! Marisa went to her first Young Chefs Academy party yesterday and made her very own heart shaped pizza...from SCRATCH. Afterwards, all the kids were given goodie bags with some cooking utensils in them, an apron with their name on it, and a chef's hat. Marisa carried that bag and wore the apron and hat ALL day long! Even when we went to Primos...for more pizza. One of the guys asked her if she was applying for a job...

This morning, she got her "uniform" on AGAIN to make pancakes!

Andrea and Maddy...thanks for a FABULOUS birthday party :)

Happy Birthday Marisa!

2009-03-29T09:14:00.000-07:00

This blog seems to be all about Marisa lately! First, Colby is not so keen on letting me take many pictures of him lately, and second, Marisa just has lots going on in her little life!

We had her birthday party at My Gym and what a fun party it was! As you know, she is NOT in to ANYthing girl related. So...for her cake, she chose (after much deliberation) a football theme. She even wore her new Green Bay shirt (which says Goodwin and number 6 on the back!).

Her presents were absolutely PERFECT - nothing girly, nothing pink.

Thanks to all our friends and family for a great 6th birthday!

ANOTHER tooth!

2009-03-29T07:51:00.001-07:00

May 20th...Marisa lost her 5th tooth (top, front). It's been a VERY busy month for the tooth fairy! And...there's still 3 more loose ones wiggling aroung in that mouth of hers :)

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2009-03-17T05:11:00.000-07:00

As usual, the leprechauns struck our house on St. Patrick's Day! While we were all sound asleep last night, they caused all kinds of mischief. The kids' rooms were strewn with toilet paper, their clothes were thrown ALL over the floor, their books were spread out everywhere, drawers were taken out of the dressers, shoes were put where the drawers should have been, Marisa's comforter was stuffed in her desk and Colby's Bakugans were out of the case along with ALL his cards.

PLUS, the leprechauns put the kitchen chairs on TOP of the table and wrapped them in toilet paper. (Boy, they are STRONG little things!) The kids' composition notebooks and homework were wrapped in toilet paper as were the ceiling fans. MISCHIEVOUS little suckers!

The best part? They left gold coins all over the kids' rooms. REAL $1 coins! May the luck of the Irish be with you!

Tooth #4

2009-03-10T18:52:00.001-07:00

The tooth fairy will strike again at our house tonight! Soon, she will need a loan with all these loose teeth :)

Lost Tooth #3

2009-03-06T06:30:00.000-08:00

It's been hanging on for days! We've tried to pull it a few times, but it wasn't quite ready to come out.

This morning, Marisa was handing me a tissue before my eyes were even open. I woke up, tried to focus my eyes, gave it a pull and out it popped. Needless to say, she's VERY proud :) It's her 3rd lost tooth, and she's VERY excited for the tooth fairy to visit tonight. It's always nice when the tooth fairy has a whole day to prepare!

Did I mention that she has 5 (yes FIVE!) other loose teeth?!?!

Harlem Globetrotters

2009-03-01T18:52:00.000-08:00

Today we had a little fun with the Harlem Globetrotters!

12:30 - Pre-game show and pictures with a few of the players
2:00 - Colby's den was chosen to stand on the court during the National Anthem! How cool is that?!?
2:15 - Game on! Lots of shananigans and LOTS of laughing :)

After the game, the kids were able to get their basketballs signed by some of the players.

It was FABULOUS! So funny, so entertaining and such a great family event.

New year, new intentions!

2009-02-25T05:30:00.001-08:00

Yes, I have slacked off on the blog front. But...I'm back and ready to blog!

To start off the new year, mom and I went on an Ultimate Scrapbooking Cruise. It was incredible. Key West, Grand Cayman, Jamaica. Some really GREAT classes by some INCREDIBLE instructors. More on that later. For now, I leave you with this picture from Jamaica. It reminds me that warm weather is coming soon. I hope. I am tired of being cold!

Tales of Temples and Tombs

2008-11-06T17:02:00.000-08:00

Tales of Temples and Tombs...an awesome musical about King Tut. King Tut, Tut...he was so divine. King Tut, Tut...yes, very very fine. Arg...I can't get those words out of my head! Colby actually had a rapping part. Yes, you read that correctly. My son, the biggest white boy EVER, rapped for an audience. And...I've got it on video. Don't think I won't whip that tape out on prom night :)

Rock on little buddy!!

Marisa's Halloween Party

2008-11-06T16:45:00.000-08:00

Marisa helped me put this slide show together. She loves all her kindergarten friends! This was their Halloween party at school. Every year, the kindergarteners dress up in their costumes and parade through all the other classrooms. They are special because nobody else in school gets to dress up!

Colby's Halloween party at school

2008-11-05T20:14:00.000-08:00

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-05T20:06:00.001-08:00

Playing with pottery at ODU

2008-11-05T19:48:00.000-08:00

This evening, we were invited to learn about pottery with the art students at ODU. The kids had a great time making a design of their choice, along with 2 bowls on the pottery wheel. Thanks for inviting us, Rachel!

Thank God it's Friday!

2008-09-14T19:33:00.000-07:00

Friday happy hours are back! This is the day of the week where we sit in the drive way, enjoy a tall cool one, eat some snacks (Tiffany, you must make that dip again!), let the kids go crazy and unwind from the week that is now behind us.

We're blessed to have both old friends and new friends. Even though it seemed like 110 degrees outside, we still had a great time. Hunter, Ben, Emily and Grady - welcome to the neighborhood!

Goooooooooooal!

2008-09-09T20:12:00.000-07:00

Soccer season has officially begun! Marisa is ready for her first game...she's got her soccer headband, her pink and white socks, her pink and black cleats and a can-do/soccer star attitude.

I'm thinking there are many goals in her weekend future :)

Bark, bark, yip, yip and off comes your siding!

2008-09-07T08:58:00.000-07:00

Tropical Storm Hanna is gone, but not forgotten.

Kind of an ironic story. Cheryl and Sam (aunts) used to have a dog named Hanna. When Hanna was a puppy, I put her in the pool so she could swim. She absolutely hated it. And, decided to hate me. You could see a look of disgust in her eyes everytime I visited.

Anyway...our house has been through way worse storms than Hanna...hurricanes, nor'easters and thunderstorms. Never once have we had a problem. Never. Until now. Hanna came back to bite us.

Somewhere in doggy heaven, Hanna got the last laugh :)

(and while I was taking pictures of the damage, I came across a HUGE spider...AAHH!)

First day of school!

2008-09-02T21:40:00.001-07:00

Wooo hooo!

Cannonball!

2008-08-24T19:49:00.001-07:00

Today we had a pool party for the staff of Beach Scrapbooks. These ladies truly make our store the very best that it can be...day after day, month after month. We are so appreciative of them! Today, we had some fun :)

Gone Fishin'

2008-08-17T13:46:00.000-07:00

I have to admit...I really did NOT want to go camping on my birthday, but it turned out to be lots of fun! The boys got to fish...we all got to swim...the food was amazing (Adam cooks better at a campsite than I do at home!!)...the weather was perfect...the campfires were cozy...the singing and guitar playing were awesome...the moon was full...the flag retirement ceremony was moving (only the Boy Scouts and the VFW can officially retire flags by burning them in a respectful manner)...the mosquitos weren't that bad after a whole bottle of bug spray...the smores were fantastic...and the kids had an absolute blast! And, after all the kids were asleep, a few of us hung around the campfire until the wee hours of the morning. I wasn't scared of all the talk about a crazy man with a hatchette. Really. Thanks to Adam, Sean and Kim for organizing such a great weekend! And, thanks to all for the group birthday song and wishes for a happy 29th :)

Oops...almost forgot about the Raingutter Regatta. Colby won first place in his grade level for the second year in a row. Rock on little buddy!

All in a day's work...

2008-08-14T14:19:00.000-07:00

Here are some random pictures from yesterday. Crazy girls, a cool rainbow, an awesome colored sky and beautiful flowers. Enjoy :)

May you rest in peace

2008-08-12T11:06:00.000-07:00

This morning started off like a regular morning. After taking Reese to the groomer, I made a quick stop at my mom's house to get my camera. We drove up to Richmond yesterday to meet my brother for lunch. He doesn't live there...he was just there for the day on business. I wound up leaving my camera in my mom's car, so I needed to get it. Anyway...I took a picture of Colby and Marisa with Brian yesterday, along with some silly pictures of Marisa holding the GIANT cucumbers and squash that came out of Brian's garden. Those were going to be my blog pictures for today...

At 11:00, Marisa had an appointment at her school to be evaluated for kindergarten. As soon as we turned in to the parking lot, there was a sea of police motorcycles. I immediately knew they were lining up for the funeral of Michael Phillips, a Virginia Beach police detective who was recently killed in the line of duty. Because I had just come from my mom's house, I tore out my camera and took a few pictures. There wasn't much time though, because I had to get Marisa to her testing. Plus, I didn't want them to think I was some strange papparazzi...

Fortunately, when we left the school, the motors were still there. I parked the car and took the opportunity to talk to the kids about the police family (units from all over the state were in attendance), the danger of drugs, good guys, bad guys and everything in between. We eventually got out of the car, sat on the sidewalk and just watched and listened. The man in charge was instructing the policemen on how to stop their bikes and dismount. It was a series of several actions, all which were done in perfect unison. They practiced and then eventually left, two by two.

It was all very touching, very meaningful. Especially since my brother is one of them. God bless the family and friends of Det. Phillips and all the other men and women who are out there protecting us.

Been there, done that, already scrapbooked it...

2008-08-04T13:31:00.000-07:00

Well, not exactly! We returned from our cruise to Alaska on Sunday morning at about 1 a.m. and are still trying to adjust our bodies to east coast time. Marisa slept in until 11 this morning! Hopefully, we can get the kids in bed ON TIME tonight in hopes of getting them back on track. After all, school is just around the corner (woo hoooo!)!

We had a wonderful time, and, yes, Alaska is BEAUTIFUL! We saw whales, orca, american bald eagles, seals, huskies, salmon, snow covered mountains, glaciers, icebergs (just little ones called berggies), evergreen trees, beautiful sunsets, rain, cool weather (we did NOT miss this humidity!!) and lots, lots more. I have over 3000 photos to sort through over the next few days as I just couldn't stop taking pictures! Now, figuring out which ones to scrap will be a whole other subject...

Stressed!

2008-07-23T15:41:00.000-07:00

Thanks so much to all the staff and volunteers at our church for putting on Vacation Bible School! They all do such a great job and my kids just love it. Colby was singing the songs at the top of his lungs last night in the shower!

Last Thursday through Sunday, mom and I were in Chicago for a big scrapbook trade show. We returned in the wee hours on Monday morning. It was a very busy weekend, but we got lots of great stuff for the store!

Now, we're trying to get ready for vacation. We're off to Alaska where the temperature is only in the 50s during the day and the 40s at night. And, of course, the kids need clothes b/c last year's pants are a little too short and their sneakers are a bit too snug. Do you know how hard it is to find long sleeve shirts and sweatshirts right now?!? We went to Target today and all my kids wanted were shoes. Have I mentioned that they both have serious shoe fetishes?? They both loved the Converse sneakers. She got pink, he got camo. A much cheaper solution than Vans! THAT is why I love Target so much :)

I still have so much to do before we leave. Finish up a laundry list of to-dos for the store...register for the cruise...wash...pack...find a pair of pants for me (I HATE shopping for me!)...locate a money tree...clean the house...take Reese to the doggy "spa"...find someone to feed my fish...pay bills...and prepare for the flight to Seattle by going out and buying one million snacks for the kids. They'll be so loaded up on sugar by the time we get there, they won't sleep for 2 days :)

So, the moral of this story is two fold. Thanks to all the VBS staff for taking my kids this week and gettin' a little Jesus in them! (And thanks to Tiffany who took the kids ALL afternoon yesterday so that I could get some work done....you are the BEST!) Second, check back in August. I should have some GREAT Alaska pictures posted by then.

Bye :)

Cub Scout Camp

2008-07-10T07:45:00.000-07:00

Let me just say...the boys are LOVIN' camp! Despite the rain, we had a great day yesterday. We (the moms) were glad to have ponchos, but the boys could have cared less.

Ask them:

1. How to play Pokeen with their shuttlecocks
2. Why a dull knife is more dangerous than a sharp knife
3. How they made their scout uniform organizer
4. Who was chanting the loudest
5. How they dug for gold
6. Can they tell you the name of a type of rock
7. Can they tell you something about campfire safety
8. What mom hit the target during Archery (oh yea baby, that's ME!)

Colby has already asked me to sign him up for next year!

Happy 4th of July!

2008-07-04T21:25:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Doug and Tiffany, we had a great time today! Good friends, delicious food and awesome fireworks! The kids had a blast with water balloons, tattoos, water guns, glow sticks and sack races. Plus, they got to watch fireworks with 3D glasses...how very cool! The fireworks were incredible, despite the little fire. And, the shrimp...delightful!

Thanks again Doug and Tiffany - we're already looking forward to next year!

Another day at the beach...

2008-06-30T21:20:00.000-07:00

Another day at the beach! Wow...we really are spoiled living on the coast. Today we went to Little Island with the Robinsons and the Gibsons. All 6 kids got along great...they dug, boogie boarded, swam, jumped waves and dug some more. At one point, the three boys got pulled out by a pretty strong undertow. A little scary for all involved, but thankfully all ended well. Colby was really freaked out by the whole situation and swears he's never going boogie boarding again. We'll see...

Even though the day started off very smokey (from the wildfires), it cleared up and we got to see dolphins!

The Halsey's come to visit!

2008-06-29T16:16:00.000-07:00

What a fun week we've had! Our friends and old neighbors from northern Virginia came to Virginia Beach for a vacation. We hung out, went to the beach, swam in the pool, visited the Aquarium, had a BBQ and caught up with everyone's busy lives. The kids played together PERFECTLY! Colby and Bret are 6 months apart and Chase and Marisa are 6 days apart. We could not have asked for a better visit! We miss them as neighbors, but it's nice that we've maintained our friendship :) Thanks for a great visit Chip, Cary, Bret and Chase!!

Pool Party!

2008-06-22T18:01:00.000-07:00

Our cub scout boys officially crossed over from Tigers to Wolves, and we had a pool party to celebrate! Thanks to Judi for hosting such a fun event :)

We swam, ate and made tie-dyed shirts (thanks Rachel!) in preperation for camp in July. Courtney, Kim and I are so glad to be a part of such a great group of boys!

A Day at the Beach...

2008-06-22T08:04:00.000-07:00

What a fun day at the beach! On Friday, we went with the Erwin's to Little Island at Sandbridge. The kids kept themselves busy all day long digging for sand crabs, boogie boarding and jumping the waves. Kim and I were able to sit, relax and catch up. Summer is officially here!

Another missing tooth!

2008-06-17T12:27:00.000-07:00

I have never seen a child more determined than Marisa! I heard her run in the bathroom. Thinking she was talking to herself, I heard her say, "this is SO exciting, I have to show Grandma!" She ran out of the bathroom to show us how her tooth was dangling. Seriously, she was giddy with excitment! She was jumping around the house chanting, "pull it out! pull it out!"

She was not content until that bottom tooth came out. So, here she is, minus 2 very cute baby teeth :)

Happy Father's Day

2008-06-17T12:16:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day to the best dads in the world!

An evening with the Tides...

2008-06-14T16:10:00.000-07:00

Last night was Boy Scout night at Harbor Park. Before the game, all the boys got to go on the field while they introduced the baseball players. Afterwards, all the kids got to run the bases. Needless to say, it was a very late night, and the kids are both super grouchy today!

Cheryl's big birthday weekend in Florida!

2008-06-08T08:33:00.000-07:00

Happy 50th Cheryl!!

Marisa graduates from preschool!

2008-05-23T20:37:00.000-07:00

Today was Marisa's last day of preschool! It's sort of a bittersweet moment...for the first time in 5 years, we will have NO monthly tuition! Mama gets a raise!! But, our baby is off to kindergarten next year. Wow, how time really does fly when you're having fun!

Marisa has absolutely loved her time at Courthouse Christian Preschool. She has made so many new friends and learned so much. She adores her teachers, Miss Angel and Miss Jenny, and has even requested that Miss Angel be her kindergarten teacher next year! We have really been blessed with a terrific school.

As a graduation gift, her teachers made her a Prayer Pillow. The poem on it reads:

This prayer pillow is just for you,
to remind you that God's love is always true.
Whenever you are sad or happy, too,
Remember God is looking after you.
This pillow is meant to remind you to pray,
and to give thanks to God each and every day!

After her graduation, we went to Harris Teeter. On the way out, one of the employees said to me, "boy, she sure is growing up fast." I just wanted to cry!

Happy graduation, Marisa!

Cub Scout Bicycle Safety Event with Officer Davis

2008-05-23T20:26:00.000-07:00

Marisa's End of the Year Party

2008-05-21T16:22:00.001-07:00

Marisa - Dentist appointment

2008-05-21T12:41:00.000-07:00

With two loose teeth, a sliced gum and one chipped tooth, our dentist wants to see Marisa tomorrow at 4:15. I will post another update then. In the meantime, it isn't stopping her from eating or playing! Her face is a bit scabby from all the road rash and cuts on her lips, but she's acting totally fine :)

More Marisa pictures

2008-05-20T20:15:00.000-07:00

Marisa's face and gums are looking much better tonight. Here are some pictures of her just before bedtime...goofing off, as usual!!

Marisa takes a dive

2008-05-20T16:56:00.000-07:00

As you can see from the pictures, Marisa crashed big time on her bike today. We were at the bus stop...she was riding around, Colby was climbing a tree and I was talking. I heard her crying in time to turn around and see Emma's dad picking her up off the ground. He told me that she took a turn too sharp and landed on her face. She was bleeding pretty good, but I just thought it was a split lip. I looked at her bottom teeth and could see the blood pooling up around them. Since they were already loose, I then assumed the bleeding was coming from them. Everyone was really nice - running to get ice packs and offering to drive us home. I declined, thinking it was nothing.

Half way back to our house, I stopped to assess the situation. I lifted up her upper lip and secretly wanted to freak out. Her upper gums were almost completely black, bloodly and, dare I say, a bit chunky. There were black specs in there (from the road??) and they were really swollen. I sped up the pace, cleaned her up when we got home and immediately called our dentist. They basically told me to clean her up, have her swish water around her mouth, give her Motrin and just watch her 3 top teeth. Marisa was really great about having ice on her lip for over an hour, which really helped with the swelling.

UPDATE: Marisa did great tonight. She ate chicken lo mein for dinner and complained of pain only a few times. Let me tell you that it did not stop her from eating 3 helpings AND a fortune cookie!! I brushed her teeth before bed and examined them a little more thoroughly. She does have a chipped tooth (which you can see in the pictures) and her front teeth are both loose and not perfectly aligned with each other anymore. The dentist said that even if they are loose, they may tighten up again, so I guess only time will tell. Her gums look so much better now than on that way home from the bus stop. We'll see how they look in the morning. All I have to say is thank God that these are still her baby teeth!

Strawberry Pickin'!

2008-05-20T06:36:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, we went strawberry pickin' at the Flip Flop Market (just past Pungo) with Kim, Westin and Madison. The strawberries are delish!

Jungle Party Tonight!

2008-05-14T04:49:00.001-07:00

The first graders at North Landing put on a GREAT show, "Jungle Party Tonight." They did a fabulous job :) The kids had to dress up as jungle animals, and Colby chose an alligator. Thankfully, we already had a costume because mama don't sew!

Meet Ava

2008-05-13T06:40:00.001-07:00

Nicole (Jason's cousin) had her baby! Meet Ava Diane Lawrence. She was born on May 7, 2008 at 5:37 p.m., weighed 8 lbs. 5 oz. and was 20 3/4 inches long.

She is beautiful and reminds me of Marisa with all that hair!

Congratulations to Nicole, Kevin and Addison :)

Mother's Day Tea at Marisa's School!

2008-05-10T19:59:00.001-07:00

Marisa's school hosted a Mother's Day Tea on Friday for all the moms! They sang a couple songs, presented us with beaded bracelets that the kids made, and prepared food and drinks for us. They were all adorable :)

I have to highlight a questionnaire that she filled out about me (double click it to enlarge it). She put my favorite food as vegetables. Seriously??

Rest In Peace Grandma Tutz

2008-05-09T04:28:00.001-07:00

Wii like to play?!?

2008-05-08T19:17:00.001-07:00

A little Wii Mariokart action while Brian and Jana were in town this weekend!

If we did not go to the dentist...

2008-05-08T19:07:00.000-07:00

If we did not go to the dentist, here is what our kids would look like...

If you double click on the pictures, you can get a better look at the teeth!

(By the way, note Colby's new haircut. He was trying to grow it "long" since that is the style is now, but decided he wanted a high and tight just like his uncle Brian. Whew!)

Look ma, no training wheels!

2008-04-24T20:25:00.000-07:00

Wooo hooo! Marisa was SO incredibly excited today to learn how to ride without training wheels. I took them off when we went to go get Colby from the bus stop and, by the time we got home, she was cruisin'. She was a little tired after riding around the entire circle in our neighborhood, so we took a little break.

After dinner, we went out again and all she wanted to do was "go really fast and take sharp turns." We rode until it got dark and I MADE her come in. She cried a little but made me promise that we could ride all day tomorrow after she gets home from school!

She definately feels the need for speed...