Summer..so far...

Mom and Aunt Patty at moms 60th birthday party.

Climbing trees in the backyard!

Caroline trying to convince her brother that they have something in common....

Sam jumped the stairs at the Agricultural Center in Wingate.

Caroline's "Candy Land" Recital

Caroline was a "Sweet Treat" in her recital this year.

Skateboarding Brothers

Cameron: board grab

Brendon: 5 0 on the mini ramp

Sam: 5 0 on the half pipe

Sam getting air!

Cameron, Brendon and Sam

These are some pictures of Sam, Cameron and Brendon on their road trip to Burlington. They skated at We're Board skate park.

Sam and Cam

This is Sam and one of his best friends, Cameron. They met at the skatepark and are now inseperable. They love skating together and going on road trips to other skateparks. However, Cameron's dad has been transferred to Ohio and will be moving in a couple of weeks. My Sam is getting ready to find out how hard it is to have a friend move away. I hate that for him...hopefully they will stay in touch.

Wedding Pics

Sam, Caroline and Jake were in a wedding in March. Jake and Caroline were the miniature bride and groom. Sam helped roll out the red carpet for the bride. The all had so much fun!

Happy Birthday to Me!!!

I am 34 today!! I have to say, age is all in the mind. My 30's have been the best yet. I am comfortable with who I am and my relationships are much more genuine! I share this birthday with my friend Holli (she just got here a year earlier ) :)!!!! We do not live near eachother anymore, but still make a point to wish the other a Happy Birthday! Ken and the kids could not wait to give me my present, so I got it last night. A new purse of course. It was not from Target this time though....it was a Coach bag. Now, I LOVE these purses, and have a few, that were bonuses given when I worked, this time was special though. It came in the big brown box, had all the tissue paper, and the protective bag to store it in!! I lost my breath when Caroline brought it to me! Then I shot Ken that "I can not believe you bought this !" look. Unlike me, he does not think of cost on special occasions. But I love that about him!! Speaking of my husband...today is our "first date ever anniversary"...15 years! We went to see Beverly Hills Cop 3. Terrible movie. I am glad that it did not affect our relationship!!! He is taking me out on Friday. Tonight however, my birthday and our "anniversary" will be spent having dinner at moms!!!

Cancer Free!!!

In the past 4 months both of my parents have fought some sort of cancer. I have to be honest and say that I am so tired of that word!!! Dad had his prostate removed and mom had melanoma on her back. Praise the Lord they have both been given clean bills of health now!

When going through these times God reveals Himself so clearly. He brought 2 verses to my attention......

"After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you." 1 Peter 5:10

"Though He slay me, I will trust Him." Job 13:15

The Easter Cake

Caroline gave me a list of "gredients" to make a cake that looked like the "Eastur Bunny". She actually let her brother help. However, he had no say in where the jellybeans went! She was watching over "her idea" closely....But in the end, they both had a great time and were very proud!

Finishing up the First Year!

Tomorrow my baby finishes up Kindergarten! Both of my children will now be in the single digit school years! This picture was taken on a "Parent Lunch" day at Unionville Elementary. Caroline was so happy to have us there. She has grown up a lot this year. She now knows how to read and write stories. She is quite the artist. On her 1st report card she scored lower on writing b/c she took all of her time drawing a picture about her story and ran out of time to write it. However, the next 6 weeks, she raised her grade from a 1 to a 3! (3 being the highest) She worked very hard and is now a great writer! Ken and I were talking about her and Sam's personalities being so different. Observing them in their classrooms, Caroline has a lot of friends. But like her mother, she is not one to "take" on a room full of people. She looks around to see who she knows and who talks to her. THEN, she begins to shine and her true personality comes forth. Her mind is set on what she wants and you will not change it. She decides what she will do and when. I am not saying this when discipline is involved. Caroline is very compliant is this area. I am talking about her style of clothing, hair,... things that reveal who she is. Sam on the other hand....takes over a room full of people. I have subbed in his classroom. Those kids LOVE him! He does not have to do anything and they are all talking to him and about him. He is a goofball and they eat it up! He truly has no clue about how powerful his personality is! On the other hand, he is very indecisive. It takes him a while to make up his mind. But when he does...he stands firm on what he thinks is right. He is very sensitive and loving.
The Lord gave me 2 very different children, that I love more than anything! He blessed me.

"God...generously gives us everything for our enjoyment." 1 Tim.6:17

"God has shaped each person in turn; now He watches everything we do." Ps. 33:15

Snacking on some "deep fried" memories!

Well it's 3:00 pm and I am looking for a snack! What better way to counter-act my workout than making some homemade doughnuts! When I was little mom would deep fry canned biscuits and then toss them in sugar. We loved them. So, Sam and I broke out the oil and biscuits and he was introduced to a whole new side of heaven! I know that this was not the most healthy of choices, but being able to share the, "When I was little....", moment with Sam, made it very good for our souls!

All In the Month Of May!!

May was huge for us! Caroline got her ears pierced, was baptized, learned how to ride her bike, danced beautifully at her recital AND had 5 inches of her hair cut off!!!! Sam placed 1st in his skateboard competition!!! We are so proud of them both!

The Beginning

Welcome to my family blog! So many things happen each day that I can not remember to write them down. Hopefully this will keep me faithful to jotting down those crazy things that my kids say and do! Stay tuned!