First Day of School 2011

Well, don't they look just so excited to be starting school today with their forced smiles and all!!! Mallory started 3rd Grade today and Mason began 2nd Grade. They both said that they were not nervous, but the timid way they walked into their classrooms said it all.

I wasn't able to get any pictures of Madelyn becuase in the process of taking pictures of the kids she fell on the sidewalk and busted her lip. It was all over from there!!!

Weight Loss Update...

This summer I have found myself maintaining my weight, which I guess is a good thing since it's not a gain. We did go on vacation early July and I gained 4 pounds but lost it as soon as we got home. The past 2 weeks I've really hit it hard with my diet again and I've lost a GRAND TOTAL of 13.2 pounds since I started my diet. I think that 2 pounds lost since my last post about it. I'm gonna keep on going and with school starting next week hopefully it will get easier!

HOLD ME ACCOUNTABLE!

One of the Most Precious Nights of My Life...

For the first time in nearly 6 years I was together in one room with my brother and 2 sisters! I have to say it was a night to be treasured as we celebrated the wedding of my sister Amber to her new husband Adam! The last picture is an inside joke between us four. It's our Christmas suprise face!! I know... sounds silly, but every Christmas morning growing up we would all line up youngest to oldest as we came into the living room and saw what Santa had left. We did this every year until we were out of the house!! It was great to have all 4 of us together again at the same time!

12 Years Married!!

Jason and I are celebrating 12 years of marriage today!! We had a rare date night last night. We started with dinner at Oliveto, enjoyed some wine tastings at Kiepersol and then had a movie date to see Cowboys & Aliens. It was a great night out! The past 12 years have been wonderful, even the struggles because they have made us stronger as a couple. We've grown so much together. As Jason and I talked about our life together we both agreed that the one thing we pray the most for is for our marriage to be one that makes our children proud! One day we want our children to say thank you mom and dad for staying together and setting a good example. It's a task that Jason and I look forward to for the next 50 years!!

(PS... wish the picture was better/clearer. With an 8 year old photographer, using a phone camera & a baby that wouldn't let us have a picture alone, it just didn't turn out so well :)

Mason's Karate Test

Mason had his 2nd Karate Belt Test this past Friday night. He got his Yellow Striped Belt! We are so proud of him. He absoultely loves karate!!

Summer Fun!!

We are having the best, relaxing summer! I've got lots of pictures from our vacation to to the Outer Banks in North Carolina and I"ll post those later, but for now here are a few of the kids just enjoying summer. We've made homemade oven smores and even Madelyn enjoyed them. The girls have matching pj's (and I'll keep buying them as long as Mallory thinks they are "cool"). I had bought a little pool for Madelyn and the big kids have just as much fun it!! They didn't even wait to put their bathing suits on, at least the girls didn't!!

Homemade Play Dough Fun!!

Mallory and Mason made homemade play dough today!! Mason chose Blueberry Blast Koolaid as his color and Mallory chose Pink Lemonade!!
LOTS OF FUN!!!