Awesome Recipes

Baked Caprese

This is a completely awesome recipe that I got from Food and Wine - even though I don't get the magazine anymore, they still send me the weekly recipe e-mails.  Bonus!  It's really easy to make and so delicious.  I served it the first time with pan-seared salmon and then as left overs with a runny egg on top (over easy really, but the runny yolk is key) - I think I liked the left overs more than I liked it the first time, and that's saying something.  If you like caprese at all, I urge you to try this one (for non-techies: the title is the link - click that).

The next two recommendations I have are dips I've made and everyone's liked.

Spinach Dip with Feta, Lemon, and Oregano

10 oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup mayonnaise -- I tried to make it without they mayo and it wasn't the same; you really need it
2 Tbsp fresh oregano or 2 tsp dried
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese -- you can actually omit the cheese if you want; it's still good
1 Tbsp lemon juice
Salt to taste

Mix everything in the food processor until well combined.  Refrigerate for 1 hour and serve.

Cheese Dip

3/4 cup shredded low-fat sharp cheddar cheese
3/4 cup reduced fat cottage cheese
8 oz package of cream cheese - at room temp and cut into quarters
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1/8 tsp cayenne
1/2 package dry veggie soup mix
Worcheshire sauce to taste

Mix everything EXCEPT cream cheese and soup mix in food processor until smooth.  Add cream cheese and soup mix and process again until smooth.  Refrigerate for 3 hours and serve.

This recipe is one from Weight Watchers and has been a big hit at our basketball parties.  It also helps with my cravings for Pimento cheese spread (sooo love it but I can eat a small thing of it in 2 days; not healthy.)

I hope you guys try these out and enjoy!

Boosterthon

 Will's school does a fundraising event called Boosterthon Fun Run.  This is the 2nd year Bethel has done this event, and although there are issues with it (not enough money goes directly to the school), I think it's a winner overall.  The idea is to have each child run as many laps as possible while having sponsors pledge them a dollar amount per lap with a maximum cap (so you know how much you'll be spending); or you can pledge a flat amount.

We wanted Will to ask for pledges himself this year so he had to think of who to call.  When we asked him who he wanted to ask to sponsor him, his first answer was "Barak Obama".  LOL!!  After telling him Obama was trying to get sponsors himself, we asked him to pick again.  After scratching his head and screwing up his eyes he says, "Um, Mitt Romney?"  Again, LOL!  He finally settled on family and made the calls, one each day.


I remember having to sell candy bars year round and once event doing some kind of jewelry sale as a fundraiser.  I've been approached by parents whose children are selling wrapping paper and other goods.  While that's fine, I don't need to add any more candy or goods to our house.  With Boosterthon, we pretty much ask family (who don't want to buy candy or goods either).  They've been very good to us - thanks family!

This is Will's class at the end of the Fun Run.  After running for about 30 minutes or so, Will completed 38 laps; now, it's not a real track, so don't get too excited over 38 laps.  At the same time, the guys told us that any child who completed 35 laps ran over 2 miles - very proud of my kiddo!  He's a very fluid runner - I'll be posting video of it later.

All in all, we're happy to have helped the school in a fun and healthy way.  Thanks again to our families for helping too!

My Little Builders

 Most people who know my kids know that Will is obsessed with cars and trains and all the infrastructure needed to support them.  Fi, like a good sister, goes along with it all and plays like a champ.

Lately, we've expanded the train/car empire to include building cities for them.  These are some of their latest attempts - I'm constantly impressed by his good engineering skills and creativity.

This first one is a double-decker bridge made out of foam blocks provided by one of Brent's suppliers (it's the greatest thing ever - that box of foam blocks has been wonderful.  I think the supplier should patent it as a kids toy).  We're impressed they got it to stand up and even more impressed that the dog didn't knock it over (it was up for a week).

Our next one is Will's latest train (a new model called Power Trains - more are on the Xmas list).  He and Reid started building a city around the track one afternoon.  They even included a sky scraper (see on the far right?) - very cool.  As Bismark likes to lay on the hearth, unfortunately, the sky scraper got knocked down a fair bit (major drama and blaming of Fi ensued.)

Our final photo is with our "classic" Thomas track - many thanks again to Grandpa Tom for building our awesome table.  Will and I actually created this track last year - he found a picture of it and wanted to recreate it.  He did most of the work himself based on the picture.

I'm very proud and impressed with all that he's created.  I can't wait to see what he makes next. :)

Party Weekend

This past weekend was all about partying!  We started Friday off with a playdate after school with Reid - the kids were great and played Legos and trains the whole time.  He left and it was time to get ready for the Knights and Princess party.

Matt and Jenny's church has a banquet every year just for the kids - it's all Renaissance themed and the place was completely decked out - the walls looked like brick, there were suits of armor, and tons of iron screens with candles (fake).  The girls were extremely excited about dressing like princesses.  Despite her Disney outfits, Fi decided to wear one of the gorgeous sari's Auntie Reshma and Uncle Steve got her, along with her rhinestone tiara and princess heels.  When she walked in (to trumpet fanfare no less), I overheard one little girl say, "She looks like Princess Jasmine."  So cute.  Ember had one a sparkly pink party dress with a crown, dangly earrings, bracelets, and heels.

Mikah dressed the party too - he had an awesome knight outfit,  complete with a mesh head covering and ninja sword.  I thought Will might want to carry a sword, but he wasn't as excited about this adventure - we really had to talk him into it, even with Mikah there.

They ended up having a great time and the adults got to enjoy dinner together (with free babysitting) for 2 hours.  Good deal. Hopefully Will may want to do it again next year - I know Fi does.

Saturday, Fi and I went to Anderson (about 45 min south - where Clemson is) for a classmate's birthday party.  Bella had a hula theme and all the girls got grass skirts, leis, and hair clips.  It was really cute to see them running around the backyard all dressed up.

We finished up the weekend with a Lentz reunion.  We hadn't seen Barry and Cathy in awhile (they had a super busy summer traveling and so did we), so they came over for Sunday dinner.  I really, really love the idea of Sunday dinner and wish I could get more of them organized with friends and family.  I made a roast and Cathy made these awesome scalloped potatoes with ham.  Katherine joined us too, which made it even better - and she brought cake (which was delicious).  We all had fun catching up and hope it won't be that long in between visits again.

Gymnastics!

 After watching a TON of Olympics and hearing about gymnastics from her friend Ember, Fi decided she'd like to try it too.  Normally we only let the kids pick one activity at a time to try/do and she'd already committed to another year of dance.  But, she was so excited (and I got a really good deal) that we said Ok for a fall term of gymnastics.

As usual, she is the tallest kid in her class of 4 year olds (they had to raise the little parallel bar up just for her).  And, so far, the least flexible - gets that from her parents. :)  But, she tried everything- balance beam, hand stands, mini cartwheels (they have a cute mat with hands and feet on it to help direct them), and a spring board.  Then they went in the big gym to jump on the super long trampoline and jump in the foam pits.

We've done 3 classes so far and she's having a great time.

August Activities

Before we went back to school, we had some more summer fun.  Fi went to a classmate's birthday party.  There was a water-bouncy house (pretty cool - I had never seen one of those before), squirt guns, a kiddie pool, and a sand table.  If that wasn't enough, there was a small bulldozer parked in the driveway.  All the kids thought this was the greatest thing EVER - especially Will.  He asked if we could get one too - so silly!  The last really fun thing was a "karate" station - they had set up foam sheets from the hardware store and held them for the kids to "chop."  It was a hit and really cute how much the kids got into it.

It wouldn't be the end of summer without one last Greenville Drive game either.  Despite going to several games this year, we hadn't gone as a family yet.  Brent took Will to a couple games, Fi to a couple games, and me to a couple games but I really wanted to make sure we all went together.  It was cloudy when we got there and after we had already eaten hot dogs, they put the tarp on the field.  Never a good sign.  We waited for an announcement - which never came - but after about 30 minutes (and no rain), they pulled the tarp up.  While they were grooming the field, it actually started to rain - awesome.  We sat in the sprinkles (the kids were so patient) and they finally started the game.  We watched for a little while, played for a little while, and watched some more.  We left before the end of the game (it was late) and everyone had a good time.  So glad to continue sharing baseball as a family.

We've also managed to get to the pool a couple more times - still no word on when it's closing so maybe we can sneak in one or two more.  It's been an amazing summer at the pool with the Estrems.  Jenny and I sit back and chat while the kids all play - love it!  Will and Fi have become good swimmers this summer (which I hope to keep up with swim lessons this fall and winter).  Will and Mikah built an awesome boat (they've made a couple this year but this is the first one I got a picture of).  Fi and Ember have done all kinds of crazy things too - my favorite is when they jump in together yelling, "JINKIES!" Makes me smile.

School Days

With the end of summer (middle of Aug. down here in the South), it's time to head back to school.

We're back at Bethel again and are looking forward to a less crowded school (they opened a new elementary school this year and pulled from Bethel).  Will's a big 1st grader this year - so proud.  He's in a classroom with only one teacher for the first time (good luck Mrs. Sammons) and has a big boy desk for the first time too.  It was a little strange not to see the big round tables for the first time.

I was a little concerned when we went to Meet the Teacher night - the playground bully is in Will's class.  Now, it's really the bully's brother, but they used to tag team Will on the playground last year.  I explained the situation to the teacher, verbally and in writing, and volunteered to be room mom to help keep an eye on things.

I'm happy to report that 3 weeks into the school year everything seems fine - in the classroom, on the bus, and on the playground.  I guess 3 months away from each other makes a difference.  Will's even eating lunch and playing on the playground with him now.  Everyone can join me in a big sigh of relief.

Other than the playground boy, Will only knew one other kid from his class last year - I couldn't believe that in a school as large as Bethel that he didn't know more kids.  We were also sad our friend Mikah wasn't in his class - 4 more years of elementary to try. :)

He's made lots of friends and his favorite part of school so far is recess - the older kids get to play on 2 different play grounds and Will thinks that's awesome.  He was very proud to show that to us at the Open House yesterday.

Sofia started another year at Disciples CDC, going Mon - Thurs from 9-1.  It's a big change in our schedule but we're getting used to it and she truly loves it.  Although on her first day, she told me she was ready for Kindergarten - she wanted to join her friend Ember who started K5 this year.

Fi's in a much larger class this year - 18 kids instead of 8.  But, she has 3 teachers and is doing well.  Miss Angie's class has 3 hermit crabs and a fish, so that's exciting for all the kids.

I'm getting back into a routine (tough after a summer off of activities) and getting everyone out the door by 7:30 - the Maxwell's are not morning people. :)

We know it's going to be a great year and we're excited for everything the kids are going to do and learn - they're growing up so fast.

Up to date

Well, I think we're mostly up to date.  We've had an awesome, busy summer.  When we weren't traveling, we played with Reid (and Jaime); with Mikah and Ember (and Matt and Jenny).  We swam; we rode bikes; we played trains; we built Legos; we played doll house.  We went to parks and the Children's Museum.  I know some parents are ready for the summer to be over, but we've been so busy that I really wouldn't mind a couple more weeks here at home.

On a random note, I have to apologize for not updating my reading list.  I have read some books this year (please see the Shelfari list on the right hand side), but am nowhere near the book count I had last year.  This is my explanation - I am being haunted by Jerry Maxwell.  Yup, haunted.  I have a shelf and a half of new, unread books that I just can't get into.  And, I think it's because I haven't finished his book yet.  I made it to Chapter 7 when everything happened last year.  Then, I just couldn't finish it (for emotional reasons).  Because of that, I think he's not letting me get into anything old or new until I read The Perfect Lion (honestly, even Twilight or Harry Potter just isn't working and that's not right - those are my "clear your head" books.)  So, I will be diving back into the life of John Pelham and we'll see how we got from there.

August - Camp Grandma

After the wedding, my parents took the kids from VA back to MI for a week at Camp Grandma.  Which meant Brent and I didn't have kids for a week, even though he had to work (poor guy).  It was awesome!  I slept (a lot) and got some work done on projects around the house (you know the kind that always get put off because you're busy with the every day).

Brent and I also went out a lot -- look:
Monday - Greenville Drive game.  It was rainy so we hit a bar by the ballpark that we both like, had some good food, and 2 hrs later, the game started.  I got to see an hour and a half of a good game before we had to head home - Brent had to work this week.
Tuesday - Brent cooked me dinner. We found a Japanese grocery store and he cooked me lots of yummy food
Wednesday - We had Korean BBQ for dinner (awesome new restaurant) and then went to the Dark Knight movie.  Good food and OK movie (I think my expectations were too high - it was a good movie).
Thursday - We went to Bonefish Grill.
Friday - We went out on the the town.  We went to a fun Belgium restaurant that has great food and an extensive/intimidating Belgium beer list and then we walked around a little bit.  We found a new popcorn store (yum!) and listened to some great music before calling it a night.

We met Mom, Dad, and the kids in Lexington, KY Saturday and drove home Sunday.  The kids had a great time at Camp Grandma and can't wait to do it again next year.  We can't either, but we don't think we can afford 2 weeks of partying. ;)  Guess we'll have to stay in a couple nights next summer.

August - VA wedding

2 weeks after the beach, we headed to VA for my cousin Kimberly's wedding.  The kids were going to their first wedding and they were the flower girl girl and ring bearer - quite the expectations for their first wedding. :)

Since we wanted to make sure we were on time for the rehearsal, we got to VA a day early.  That meant we got to spend Friday morning/early afternoon at Colonial Williamsburg.

I'm here to tell you all - don't waste your money.  It was expensive - $40 for adults and $20 for children over 5 (I should have said Will was still 5).  For what you got to see and do, I really think Crossroads Village in Flint or Greenfield Village in Dearborn delivers the same stuff for less.

We got there in time to see some of the reenactments - the supplies being low, shop keeper's fear of "colonial" money, Benedict Arnold "taking" Williamsburg (that part was cool - the rest, not so much.)  The only really good building/tour was the main courthouse (although the kids really liked the jail too).

When we go visit again, I'd like to try Jamestown (I've heard good things about that one) but I really wouldn't recommend Williamsburg.

 Mom and Dad came in Friday afternoon, so we met up with them after our tour of Williamsburg.  They took the kids swimming while Brent and I got ready for the rehearsal (the kids got cooled off/ready in the pool).

They did a good job during the rehearsal and we tried hard not to confuse them (i.e. even though they held hands walking up during the rehearsal, Will was going to be holding a ring pillow and Fi would be holding a basket during the real deal).  They rolled with it pretty well, I think.  I know they were excited to be included and singled out - especially Fi who considers all the bridesmaid's her BFF's now. (She's her Mommy's daughter - totally extroverted.)

Steven and Reshma flew in during the rehearsal so it was great to see them after the dinner was done - so wish they didn't live so far away.

The morning of the wedding was beautiful (and hot!).  The Booth-Maxwell clan decided to go play pirate putt-putt before getting everyone (really, the ladies) ready.  We had a good, sweaty time.  We ended with DQ ice cream and hot dogs.

Fi and I got ready and joined the bridesmaids and bride in the hotel for pictures.  I helped lace Kim into her dress and Fi felt adored by all the girls. :)  Then we got the show on the road.  We picked up Will and Brent, and I couldn't believe how grown-up Will looked in his tie and belt.

The kids did a great job at the wedding.  Uncle Mike walked them down to the start point and told Fi to wait for his signal to start dropping flower petals.  He, of course, got distracted by the bride and forgot to give the signal.  Brent and I (from the front row) tried to signal/remind Fi to start dropping petals.

She finally did, and with purpose!  She got to the front and deliberately took each and every petal out of the basket until they were all on the floor.  It was a riot - and luckily finished before the bride hit the official "aisle."

Will worried before hand that he would drop the rings and they would break.  We explained metal and diamonds wouldn't break like glass and that made him feel better.  He still says his favorite part of the wedding was Matt taking the ring off the pillow (probably the stress relief).

My other cousin Andrew was the officiant (his sister was the bride) and he performed a lovely ceremony that was very personal for the bride and groom.  Unfortunately, he forgot to have us sit for the ceremony.  Outside in VA in August - it was sticky, hot, and sweaty. Oh well - it was still joyous and wonderful. :)  Fi was a sweaty mess by the end and we had to fix her hair before final pictures.

The reception was fun (and had A/C). :)  They served excellent BBQ and played fun music.  Well, it was fun if you were under 40 . . .  The older crew wasn't feeling it (even the slow songs had an upbeat).  But, one of my favorite parts was watching Fi get my Dad to dance with her to something like the Thong Song. :) It was awesome.  She also danced with all the bridesmaids.  Will doesn't like loud music so he was happy with the games on my phone and sitting outside.

We had a great time, both at the wedding and the after party (thanks Uncle Mike - Dad and I had a REALLY great time.) :)  It would be so nice to get everyone together more often, but since we can't, I think we appreciate it and each other even more.  Kim and Matt, thanks for including us in your special day and we all wish you so much love and happiness.

July - Litchfield Beach

 July is our annual Litchfield Beach vacation (at least the last 3 yrs annual - ever since we moved to SC and "discovered" Litchfield - 30 min S of Myrtle Beach; it's non-tourtist and low key).

Carlene came down to visit just after the 4th and we had a great week in Greenville - I know it's her 2nd home and I'm so glad she feels that way (I've missed our Thursday Girls' Days since she went back to MI at the end of March).

Then we all drove to Litchfield together.  It's an easy drive - just 4 hrs or so - and this year I got to drive Brent's car all by myself.  It was frickin' AWESOME!!!  I plugged in my MP3 player and listend to 3 musicals (Wicked, City of Angels - musical, not movie - and Mamma Mia) plus some other random stuff.  I sang my heart out (since there were no kids to tell me, "No singing, Momma!!!"  They're quite the blow to my ego).  I must have been having a good time because at one point Brent told Carlene, "Janet's either singing or she's having a seizure."  Pretty sure I was singing/dancing to Mamma Mia at that point. :)

While we're pretty lazy at the beach (it's supposed to be laid-back, right?), I decided I was going to take pictures of the kids this year for their belated birthday shots/X-mas cards.  It worked out that Megan packed a great dress (not that she needed it - she's so pretty anyway) and we got some shots of her and the kids.  I also took some good pictures (if I do say so myself) that she may get to use for her Sr. pictures  The kids cooperated (more or less), despite the wind, and I think Megan had fun too.

We swam at the pool, saying hi to the Banana Spiders Rosco and Stevie (plus 3 smaller extras this year) around the pool fence every day.  We played cards on the porch - 9's is fun.  Chris got the kids silly string and they got everyone at the pool.  Carlene took her iPhone swimming and turned it into a dive stick (yup - I know).  Megan took the adults for nightly golf cart rides around the neighborhood (with roadies for us, no her).  Just so much fun.

The kids, Brent, Carlene, and I also took a dolphin tour on a small boat - we had a good time and saw a pod of dolphins complete with a baby one too.  We also learned that Will inherited his mama's sea-sickness but was a trooper.  Despite feeling sick, he kept it together and (I think) enjoyed the experience.  Fi did too, but wasn't as gracious about it - she got hot and let the boat know she was feeling it.  I had fun too (even if I also felt sick while bobbing in the waves watching the dolphins.)  I also got drenched, as I was sitting on the outrigger portion of the boat.

Of course, it wouldn't be a beach vacation without trips to the beach.  Megan was my daily afternoon beach buddy (I LOVE the sound, smell, and feel of the beach - I just can't get enough of it).  The kids came a couple times too.  The last day we had a great time with a tide pool and making a monster sand castle and flying a kite.  We also saw some dolphins in the waves that day (so love!)  We, of course, swam in the ocean too - the kids are getting quite good and it makes me really proud.  They've come a long way this summer in the pool.

I think Litchfield may always be our special place in SC (there's a lot of places we haven't been yet so I don't want to be too final) - we'll be going back again next year to the same house.  Wonderful memories.

June - Travel

We decided since we were soooo committed during the school year that we would ditch all extra activities this summer so that we could just have fun - it was an awesome idea and one I plan to do every summer (so I say now - don't quote me later).

We started out with a long trip back North to visit family.  We started with a trip to PA - just me, the kids, and the dog.  We spent 4 days with G-gpa and on the Booth farm.  I got to share a lot of memories with the kids about the summers I spent at Grandpap's and on the farm - wonderful things that mean a lot to me.  The kids got to help Grandpap in the garden - even though he's 94(!!), he still has a huge garden with over 60 tomato plants, lettuce, lots of garlic and some other things.  They drew him chalk pictures on his sidewalk and showed him how they rode scooters.  Uncle Mike and Aunt Linda came down for a day to meet the kids again (it's been awhile) and we had fun.

We had a lot of fun on the farm too - the kids got to pet Rose and Billy (the horses) as well as ride Rose (the older, more experienced horse).  They got to drive the tractor (Will did a better job although Fi explained how axles worked).  I got to ride Rose too - such fun and it brought back so many memories of the farm (and my Dude Ranch trip).  There are a lot of riding stables near us now and I keep thinking about taking Will and Fi riding (and me too).  Something about a girl and horses (not sure why). :)

After some time in PA, we braved the OH turnpike (which FINALLY decided to up the speed limit to 70, expect in construction zones, which was over half the drive) and went to MI.  We had a wonderful time.

We spent a day at the Detroit Zoo with Kristi and her kids - they're all getting so big and despite the giant lags in hang out time, they all get along really well and play nicely together.  It's always so nice to see Kristi - I hope she and her family end up coming to Atlanta so they'll be closer. :)  I'm always so thrilled that despite the distance, Kristi just feels like home, if that makes sense.  She just knows me and I know her - must be because she's known me for so long.  It's like we had coffee the day before, even if it's been 6 months between phone calls.  We made it through most of the zoo, rode the train, and even managed to get into the butterfly exhibit (I've never been as strollers are banned).  The kids all really liked that one.

While the kids were great, Taye was ready to go before we were.  So, we went to see the Polar Bear exhibit (my favorite at the D-Zoo).  We had good timing too because one of the bears kept tossing a small barrel into the water and fishing it out - over and over again.  It was really fun, and nice and cold on a hot day.  We also took a ride on the new merry go round before heading back to Grand Blanc (GB).

We had so much fun with other activities in the D.  Will is completely obsessed with the Titanic, and thanks to the 100th anniversary of the sinking, Mom, Dad, Carlene, the kids and I went to the Henry Ford museum to check out the special Titanic exhibit.  It was really cool - we each got a card with the name of a Titanic passenger and at the end, you got to see if you made it or not (Will, Fi, and Dad died - lower class male passengers - Mom and Carlene were super fancy 1st class passengers and lived - I was a child and lived).  We really enjoyed the rest of the museum too - the kids loved all the cars and, of course, the trains.  They had a HUGE engine that used to work in PA - really cool.  It was hard to drag them out of there (and skip some of the exhibits) but we had a great time and can't wait to go back.

We did some other fun things too - we went to the park in GB and watched the train go by; we got ice cream at Ziggy's.  And, GB added a splash pad that the kids really enjoyed (especially considering that it was actually hotter in MI during June than in was in SC - what's up with that, global warming?)  Will was obsessed with this steering wheel-water dumping feature, and running around like crazy.  Fi just kept following him around and trying to get the water out of her eyes (she's a big believer in goggles - won't go underwater without them).

Brent and I managed to get in a Tiger's game; we did some work on the house in RO and talked with the renters (so lucky to have good tenants).  We stayed with Carlene and enjoyed time with the Maxwell's.

I also managed to have dinner - alone (yeah!) - with Ann in downtown Plymouth at a fun pizza and wine restaurant.  Plymouth seems to have grown and gotten cooler - all without updating their parking (took me forever to find a spot).  We had a great time and talked about so many different things - great girl bonding time.  I can't wait to do it again.

Brent drove back to SC with the kids and I - I was so happy to have a co-pilot on the way back (especially since it's a 12 hr drive).  It's also nice that Will's in a regular seat belt so he can reach everything - snacks, drinks, and can work the DVD player.  Good times!  I'm so thankful they're good travelers (Biz too) because we have so many more road trips in our future.

May - End of School

So, May was super busy.  Hilton Head aside, school ends (and starts) early in SC.  So, we were wrapping up all kinds of activities (dance and baseball) along with the end of school.  It felt like we had something on our calendar every day.

Sofia had her very first dance recital to the wonderful Annette Funicello song "Pineapple Princess."  Since we've been studying it all year (seriously), the song totally sticks in your head.  And, the 3 and 4 yr olds did a great job, especially considering that there were only 4 of them dancing on the giant stage at Furman University (beautiful campus).  She did a great job and was so proud to receive her first trophy!  We'll be dancing again next year.

Sofia also finished K3 - it was a great year and she learned so much.  In addition to discovering that she is THE slowest eater in the world (yup - took her 30 min to eat half a sandwich and some raisins - I can't pack more than 3 things in her lunch box), she discovered a love of Spanish (so glad CDC teaches that) and finally found some more girl friends.

While we're excited to have a summer off and return to CDC 4 days a week next year, we are really going to miss wonderful Miss Ashleigh.  I'm glad we'll still get to see her every day and can't thank her enough for the great start to school and learning that she's given Fi.

Will graduated Kindergarten - can you believe it?!?  He's so big now and such a little man.  He also had a great year - his final report card was all +'s (the best you can get, says the proud mama.)  He's reading really well and made so many great friends.  He's interested in so many different things and it's wonderful to see how he's grown yet stayed the same.

We're ready for 1st grade next year!

May - Hilton Head with the Bries'

 In May we were sooo lucky to be able to spend a weekend with our Iowa friends, the Bries, at Hilton Head.  Thankfully, Dr. Andy has an annual conference there.  So, while it may take us awhile to get to Iowa (Will still wants to move there, so I'm sure we'll be visiting at least once), it's so nice to know that we may have a chance once a year to see our friends in person.

This year, we got to meet Gabrielle, the new addition.  Tara was pregnant with her when they left and we've only seen pictures.  Gabrielle had some ear issues, so I didn't get as much "holdy" time (to quote big sister Ali) as I'd like but she's a sweet girl.

The kids started playing together the minute we walked in the door late Friday night - it was like they hadn't been apart at all and so heartwarming.
 

We went to the beach the next day - the kids had a blast playing in the sand.  My kids had a lot of fun in the ocean as well - not so much the Bries babies. :)

We headed back to the pool that afternoon and Andy's sister and her family joined us as well.  They were really nice and the kids got along really well (with mine leading the charge, as usual).

We celebrated Cinco de Mayo with awesome chicken tacos and margaritas, courtesy of Dr. Andy, and had a lot of fun catching up.

It was too short of a visit but we hope for a longer one next year - at least we know we'll have that!

We're Baa-ack!

Seriously, we are.  And, I'm fully armed with a new Mac laptop (which I'm totally still learning).  So, I hope we still have some of you with us (please say you haven't given up, please).

We've had quite the year - we had some terrible losses (Jerry and my grandma) and some wonderful experiences (graduating K3 and Kindergarten, vacations with friends and family).  I don't plan to go back through it all, but I will be doing some brief postings with pictures that highlight some of our fun times.  AND, since school starts in a week, I'll pick up with weekly (hopefully) updates about us.

So, stayed tuned and it's ON!