New Addition

Here she is...isn't she beautiful?

I spotted this door throughout our neighborhood just after we moved in almost three years ago (wow...the time has flown!). It seemed like every other house had one and I immediately fell in love. It took me a while to find it, but alas...here she is and she's all mine.

Notice the flag? That's new too! Happy Father's Day to Matt!

Happy Father's Day

We love Daddy for so many reasons...
"he wrestles with me"
"he gives me piggy back rides"
"he lets me ride on his shoulders"
"he gives us food"
"he has blonde skin like me"
"he loves me"
"he loves Mommy"

Matt, you are truly a wonderful man and an amazing father. You love being a father and it shows in everything you do. You have a tremendous amount of patience and an incredible ability to take advantage of each and every teachable moment that presents itself to you. Your sense of humor is untouchable and I am so thankful for the laughter you encourage in our children. You are truly interested in every aspect of our children's days and the time they spend away from you, and your ability to draw information out of them is just unbelievable. I knew when I married you that you'd be a wonderful father...that has turned out to be an understatement. We love you and are so grateful for the ways you have enriched our lives. Happy Father's Day!

Corolla, NC

Carly and I are back. We've been in Corolla since Monday visiting with a close friend of mine from high school. She and her husband rented a house in Corolla for the week and invited me down to visit while they were there. Since Connor and Matt were still in school, Carly and I went down together. We had such a nice time catching up and relaxing by the beach and the pool. The kids got along great (Monica has two boys and a little girl) which made it even better! Some snapshots of our time together... Now it's back to reality...

Picture Catch Up...

I'm back! At least for a little bit. I know I have a lot to catch you up on so I'll do it through pictures.

We spent Easter at home this year. C&C searched for their Easter baskets in the morning and then after church they enjoyed an Easter Egg Hunt. Instead of the traditional Easter dinner, I suggested a picnic at Maymont. It was a beautiful, relaxing afternoon!

Carly is wearing the pillowcase dress I made for her. I found the tutorial online. It was super easy!

Happy Birthday, Connor

My sweet boy is 6 years old! Although I've said it a dozen times, I still can't quite grasp the fact. This year has been such a time of growth for him. I can see the beginnings of a little man. He continues to be such a passionate, tender-hearted soul with an overly-energetic spirit and a contagious smile. He is very curious and has such an innocent, inquisitive mind. I always enjoy the conversations we have and the many teachable moments we encounter. The time we spend lying together in his bed right before bedtime is my favorite. It's a time of sweet and quiet conversation that I look forward to and treasure.

Connor had been hinting that he wanted a Star Wars themed birthday party but I think I was in denial and confident that I could talk him into something more "my" style - something more "party-like" that didn't scream "B-O-Y!" Then I finally came to my senses and remembered that this was his birthday, and his party and that I just needed to go with it. From that moment I spent a lot of time reading blogs and thinking about how to make this party a hit for Connor. Throughout the process Matt and I also decided that this would be a drop-off party...a first for us. We allowed Connor to invite six of his classmates and then some additional close kindergarten friends, so we were going to have a lot of energy to contain/direct! I decided to develop a Jedi Training party in which the children would have to participate in four trials in order to complete the Training. I think the most difficult and time consuming part of the planning was the invitation. Once I came up with the idea of a video invitation, I was determined to see it to completion. Had I known how difficult it was going to be, I would've come up with an alternate plan. I was super-excited with the outcome...

I made jedi robes for all of the kids (brown for the boys and white for the girls) which they received and put on as soon as they arrived and lightsabers out of pool noodles and duct tape (which were kept secret until the time came to use them).

The four trials consisted of:

Rescue the Princess (popping balloons and looking to see if a princess is inside)

Storm Trooper Blast (shooting Nerf darts at, and tring to knock over, storm troopers on cups)

Use the Force (blindfolded and trying to hit a ball with a lightsaber)

Lightsaber Duel (dueling with lightsabers on a balance beam)

And then they enjoyed cupcakes (arranged to look like a lightsaber)

I think we wore them out!

Hopefully a good time was had by all participants. I know Matt and I had a blast - more so than I ever thought I would. I kinda' like the drop-off concept!

Happy Birthday, sweet boy!

St. Patty's Day

Those silly leprechauns were up to the same 'ole tricks this year, tipping over chairs, stools, pillows, etc...But they did remember to leave Connor and Carly some "gold" (rolos) in their shoes!

These were a last minute gift idea for the teachers.

Daddy and Mommy Dates

This post is slightly outdated but worth a quick post. Last weekend, Matt and I enjoyed dates with C&C. Matt and Connor spent Saturday afternoon at the Richmond Auto Show, while Carly and I went with my mom to see CYT's (Christian Youth Theater) production of Cinderella. We all enjoyed our one-on-one time and the kids had a great time too. Some pics:

Carly insisted on wearing her Cinderella dress to the show, along with the shoes and crown. She looked just like a princess!

And even got to meet the real Cinderella from the show!

Now this weekend, we switch and I have some Mommy-Son time and Matt will have some Daddy-Daughter time. Yeah!

5 miles

I went running with "Coach" this morning. I was a little intimidated because she and her running partners have run 10k's, the half marathon, and are currently training for a 10 miler. She warned me that this morning's run was 5 miles and she had confidence that I could do it at their pace. My plan was to try to do 4 miles this morning and then walk the rest. I was beyond excited when I found out that we had all run the 5 miles together. Whoot whoot!

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss

This week in school the children participated in a variety of events/activites to celebrate Dr. Seuss' birthday. The culminating activity was a Character Parade. The children were instructed to dress as a favorite storybook character. Connor finally decided upon...

I am excited to say that I made this costume myself (except for the hat, which we already had) yesterday for a total of $7.47! What a bargain! It's a good thing, since Connor came home with a ripped sweatshirt, half of his white "breast" ripped off, and a ripped hat. What goes on at school I do not know...

See what came in the mail...

Matt's Valentine's Day gift arrived just before we left for Kingsmill. Not very romantic, but I needed a reason to give it to him. After reading many blog postings encouraging people to get their free canvas print, I had to do it. You can get an 8x10 canvas print free although you do have to pay the $15 shipping fee. After selecting that, another offer window popped up with a great deal on this 16x20. Matt has a large spot in his office that I thought this would be perfect for. It is absolutely beautiful! If you haven't done so, I highly encourage you to get one for yourself here.

Ta da...