Madelyns Birthday

Oh my little Madelyn. This should have been posted a long time ago, since her birthday was March 30th, but we're doing a little catching up and I'm starting with her birthday. Maddie is five now and it's hard to believe that in just another month she'll start all day kindergarten. I can't quite pinpoint why it appears I'm going to be hurting the day she starts, but I believe it has something to do with her not being the first, but by being the 2nd it truly means my family is growing up(I always looked forward to my first doing things for the first time, but it's not the same for the next) and these little girls wont be little for much longer.

Here they are at an Easter Egg hunt right after Maddie's birthday-yeah, um that was only what 4 months ago?
Isn't she sweet, Maddie's favorite color is blue and it has been blue for as long as she's been able to say blue, so she had a blue birthday, for the 2nd year in a row.

On her new blue bike

Being a middle child(which I was one of) I'm afraid she might sometimes feel a lack of attention stuck in between the oldest and then the baby. I know how it goes, but now as the mother of a middle child I realize how much even love you have for each child and how even though by chance she's in the middle, it's actually quite a blessing. She has always been so independent and she has a strong will, but such a sensitive side. At five years old Maddie is able to play well and follow the advice of other kids and give her own without being domineering, she's ready to start school even if it is all day! Even now I feel a loneliness in me just thinking about all the quiet afternoons I'll have without Maddie curled up on the couch beside me while Sophie sleeps. She hasn't started school yet, but I'm already missing her, how is that possible? I love you so much Maddie, you bring such happiness to your family.

Sophia's 2nd Birthday

I am sorry, I'm a slacker, Sophie's 2nd birthday was back on February 21st. But it's better late than never. For the children some day who will read this-in my defense it's been a busy few months. She wanted to open that Elmo bag soooooo bad! The party hadn't even started yet and she was already crying
She loves Elmo-started stripping as soon as she saw the new Elmo clothes

So cute!!! (the "you are special today plate" was bought for .50 cents from my sister-in-laws yard sale some 8 years ago. I just barely started breaking it out-I had never seen one before, but their kind of cool-right? Your loss Emily!!(I think we've been saying that for the past 8 years))

Sophie and Grandma on the day Grandma left-Sophie still asks "where's Grandma" and when I respond with "she's at her house" Sophie gets mad and says "Grandma my house, my house"

Nice Little Outing

Trent and I feel so lucky, we just got back from one of the best vacations ever. There are a lot of components that factor into what makes a vacation a "great vacation". I think the biggest factor in making this such an amazing vacation was the fact that we went from hellish winter in Erie, PA to perfect, sunny, beautiful southern Florida. I think that fact also contributed to why I experienced such a feeling ecstasy laying in the warm sand on the most beautiful beach in the continental U.S. Because this blog doubles as a photo album for us, be warned there are a lot of pictures. Here I am getting fried on our way out deep sea fishing
Trent and I on a bridge overlooking the Fort Lauderdale canals


On Fort Lauderdale Beach


Eating on the Boardwalks

Our hotel in Islamarada-central Keys in the Florida Keys

Driving down to Key West from Key Largo-breathtaking views, seriously

Trent on the airboat tour in the Florida Everglades

Trent and I in the Everglades-creepiest place that is somehow still beautiful

The beautiful canal streets leaving Fort Lauderdale and Miami-where Shaquille O'Neal has a place

Trent with the King Mackerel-we ate that fish a hour later at a trailer restaurant down in Islamarada-it was incredible

Key West

Trent and I going out snorkeling in Key West

Snorkeling-35 minutes later I was throwing up in this water with fish swarming around me eating my upchuck-At least the Barracuda's didn't bite-I'm not kidding. Shouldn't have swallowed so much sea water.

Just off the reef, Trent had just finished throwing up in this picture-same problem, we swallowed too much salt water. Thanks so much to my wonderful Mother-in-law for watching our kids for us and only knocking one hole in the wall.

Olivia's 7th Birthday

On the morning of Olivia's 7th birthday she had the biggest surprise she could have hoped for- her Grandma Kathy had flown in late the night before just in time to surprise her on her birthday.
Look at how happy she is!

Look at Sophie, this is on the first day of Grandma's visit, by the last Sophie was constantly in Grandma's arms. Grandma left yesterday and Sophie is still walking around the house looking for her (sad). Olivia's choice was to have her favorite cupcakes, check out Sophie stealing pieces!

Again, Olivia's choice was a Japanese Steak House (can't say the choice bothered me). Since we moved in the fall, we had not been to one in Erie, and I have to say this is one of the best we've ever gone to. Very authentic and a great seafood selection, which we all love!

Of course Olivia's favorite part was the drink with an umbrella, of course.

Happy Birthday, my first little one. I Love you more than I could ever express here.

And Thus It Has Begun

The snow has begun. We've been waiting in a somewhat uncertain anticipation for the snow to really start coming. We knew the snow and weather statistics moving up here, so we can't say we're shocked, but at just under 3 feet and counting...I don't know how to feel. A foot is expected today, and more tomorrow, the next day, the next day and so on. Snow is beautiful when it's more of a mild decoration outside, I'm not sure what to call it when snow is all you see outside. When mailboxes and fire hydrants have big long red poles on top so the plows don't hit them. I was told (when I was complaining at the bus stop it wasn't safe for the kids to ride the bus to school) that this is nothing, "it has only begun". Welcome to Erie.......

it's hard to capture the true amount of snow in a picture with snow drifts happening everywhere-I'll try to capture a better one next time

If anyone doubts the amount of snow Erie gets, check out the info about Erie, PA on Wikipedia, go now and think of us please the next time you see a blue sky and asphalt-no such things exists here in winter. The roads are only snow paths the skies are only clouds. But happiness is not found in the weather-or is it?

Christmas 2009

Christmas morning The girls are always much too spoiled by Santa, and grandparents, but for them it's magical and the greatest time of year, well except birthdays, and Easter, Halloween and........any other time they get spoiled.

I thought this was a cute picture of Maddie and Sophie sneaking eggnog in a wine glass, late Christmas day.
The girls favorite-a kids laptop





Olivia gave me this flower picture frame, she had been dropping hints for weeks about this present. I think she realized how much fun it was to to give a gift she paid for herself,(well kind of, I handed her the money and looked the other way-does that count?) "almost better then getting presents" actually was what she said-almost.



This little one woke up too early, actually now that I think about it, she's always up too early.




Sweet memories. The girls and Trent singing Christmas songs- Trent played the harmonica while the girls and I sang, I bet your wishing you were there to see such harmonious music being performed.

Oglebay

Our Christmas vacation! We escaped cold, cold snowy Erie, PA! We went to Oglebay Resort just outside of Wheeling, West Virginia. We only stayed a night and 2 days but it was "Wild and Wonderful", as West Virginia goes. Trent used to come down here in the summer for his management seminars-he always loved it and wanted us to come try it out-it was beautiful. West Virginia is so incredible hilly-I wish I would have taken pictures of the old rickety houses sitting on rocks, hanging over cliffs. Oglebay sits on the top of a-would it be a mountain?, or would it just be a large hill, either way it winds around and around going up with those 150 year old rickety houses dotting the cliffs. Oglebay Resort property is basically the whole entire top of the mountain, it's quite a sight.
Of course the indoor pools were the girls favorite.






The festival of lights is the main attraction Oglebay host in the winter. It was really nice, but we started it late and it goes on for miles...and miles.... The girls were all asleep by the time we made it back to the lodge. It was such a nice break and little vacation, hopefully we can make this a tradition.