Saving the Memories

busy weekend

2012-01-22T18:04:00.000-05:00

1/20/12 - friday - normal school and work day. kate had bball practice until 6:00. kate slept over at hannah's house. i was wiped out, so it was an early bedtime for me!

1/21/12 - saturday - SNOW, SNOW, and more SNOW. yuck!!! luckily it was only about 3-4 inches and it was very light, so it wasn't too bad to shovel. mike and michele got a late start coming over because of shoveling and stopping for an extra inner tube for sledding down their big hill at home. the kids had a blast sledding. kate wanted to build a fort, but didn't get much help, and it's a lot of work to do by herself. she decided to build a ramp for them to catch air. it was pretty cool!! mike made me a cake for dessert to celebrate my bday. it was so sweet! we love spending time with them!

1/22/12 - sunday - we walked outside and it was 19 degrees!! ugh! we went to olivia's friend bday party. it was at the painted plate in west chester. the kids got to decorate a ceramic item. they were surprisingly good. olivia absolutely lives in her pink cowgirl boots, so it was a cowgirl theme. the cake was awesome! she was so cute in her hat and boots. we rushed off at noon to get kate to volleyball practice. while she was at practice, ray and i ran to boscov's to get him a blazer, pants, and shirt for our meetings in VA on thursday. we came home to watch the flyers play against boston. always a great rivalry!! we are tied 5-5 in the 3rd... very nerve racking! hartnell has a hat-trick!! it's been a very hard hitting, high scoring game! i LOVE it! going to OT... the refs have been very bad today. now it's going to shoot outs... makes me VERY nervous! we lose in the SO. bryz needs to stop the shooters! ugh!

updating...

2012-01-19T21:43:00.001-05:00

we've been busy, but i really have been slacking with updating the blog...

1/10/12 - it was corey and gidget's anniversary today. sent well wishes to them thru facebook. it was a normal crazy tuesday... kate had basketball and then volleyball. ray wasn't feeling well so i took kate to volleyball. i have been trying to get to know some of the vball parents. i have been talking with alyssa's mom, serena. she's a hoot. watched day 2 of 3 in a row for the sixers - got a W!!

1/11/12 - wednesday - regular day of work, school, and bball practice. day 3 of 3 watching the sixers. it was a tough loss... still in first place though!!

1/12/12 - thursday - regular day of work, school, and bball practice. watched the flyers beat the islanders, but it should not have been that close. i spent some time labeling my cricut cartridges.

1/13/12 - friday - it was corey's bday today - sent well wishes to him thru facebook. work, school and kate had a bball game at brandywine heights. we got our first pay from health equity and they messed up a few things... charged me too much for insurance, took money out for hsa contributions, and didn't take out local taxes. i headed out there alone because ray had a second technical interview with hutchinson recruiting. it went very well! when we got home, we had family movie night. we turned the lights out and turned the audio up.

1/14/12 - saturday - today was the berks county scrappers winter fun crop. i went with kim and aunt sherri. i only got 2 pages and a few flowers... but i don't usually expect to get anything done! i had a great time catching up with scrap friends i don't get to see. ray and kate did some running around getting new school binders. came home and watched the fly guys - they lost, but gotta watch - win or lose. kate was exhausted... she passed on out the couch.

1/15/12 - sunday - slept in!! it was SO nice! took kate to vball practice while ray started working on cleaning out the attic. when we got home, i went through old totes of crafts and the kids' school work. it was a walk down memory lane. ray started scanning old docs. he is really doing a great job of getting rid of old things that we don't have space for.

1/16/12 - monday - MLK day - non-banking day, but still had to work. got some things straightened out with the paychecks. kate had off from school, but we worked on kate's science fair display.

1/17/12 - tuesday - this is probably the craziest day of the week. i had a crazy day at work with deposits since yesterday wasn't a mail day. ray got bloodwork and ran to the store. i ran home to make french toast for dinner before getting kate from bball practice, then off to science fair to put the graph & chart on the project (since she forgot), and then to vball practice. they have been working on some team building activities and they are definitely working. kate said to me that she really likes the girls on her team. i am so happy!! we came home to grab dinner and watch the flyers. they beat up on the wild 5-1!!! ray got AWESOME news today. the recruiters called and the technical interview went very well. we have to go down to virginia next week for them to interview me to make sure i can handle ray being away for so long.

1/18/12 - wednesday - worked and then went to kate's bball game. they played reading and we killed them! kate's vball coach (from wyo - coach wentzel) and his wife came to watch kate play. she was so happy to see them. i love that she is so involved in learning plays and communicating with the coaches. she runs the plays on the court and it was neat to see her talking strategy with coach baer. ray and i are going to virginia wednesday night (my birthday) for the interview on thursday. kate has a half day wednesday and then we will drop her off at mom's. mom will then take her to school on thursday morning and go to her game and bring her home until we get home.

1/19/12 - crazy day at work. busy the entire day... traffic was ridiculous today. people we driving like idiots and i was very frustrated!!! i have to fill out a packet of psychological profile questions for the recruiters before we go down next week. they came in the mail today. there are ~600 questions with 3 essays. it was the same packet ray had to fill out. kinda silly if you ask me... but i did it and in record time! ray will return it to them tomorrow so they can review it before we go next week. kate had a bball game vs oley tonight. the schedule said at the high school, but it was at the oley middle school. uncle mark was there to cheer on kate. she loved it!! after the game the girls had a pizza party and cheered on the senior high girls jv and varsity at home. they had a scrimmage during half time. they got to play in the new gym in front of 50-60 people. what a cool experience!

basketball game

2012-01-09T21:29:00.000-05:00

work was very crazy today. this was my first day doing deposits full time at work. needless to say, the day FLEW by! kate had another basketball game today. uncle mark and aunt sherri were able to go too. she is always so happy when they can come. we won 22-5. kate had a good game. she scored a basket before we got there (i was late because of work) and caused a few turnovers. she was playing tough defense all game. aunt sherri commented on how calm she is when she is running a play.

kate loves having her hair braided when it's wet so it is crimped in the morning. she looks goofy when the braids are in, but looks cute when it's out. so, i put the braids in tonight while we watched the sixers beat the pacers!!

good cook...

2012-01-08T21:10:00.000-05:00

not much happening today... kate had volleyball practice today (pictures are blurry because it's in a church with poor lighting and i took it with my iphone) and then after we looked for new basketball/volleyball shoes at dick's. we couldn't find any that she liked in her size... ray and i worked on cleaning out some of the attic and old paperwork. i made meatloaf, homemade mashed potatoes, corn, and gravy for dinner. kate was helping me with the potatoes and asked me how i became such a good cook. it made me so happy to think she thinks of me as a good cook. i can't wait to help her have a love of cooking too. we then went to volleyball scorekeeping training. it's extremely confusing at first and the girls are responsible for doing it during the tournaments. i think it's good to have them involved and i am sure they will catch on very quickly.

this week...

2012-01-08T00:04:00.000-05:00

wednesday 1/4 - normal work day and then kate had a basketball game at schuylkill valley. she had another great game. she make 3 out of 4 free throws and a field goal. she was fouled as the buzzer blew for the end of the 2nd quarter. so the free throws were taken without anyone on the line with her. it's a lot of pressure with everyone watching and she did a great job! she made both of them!!

thursday 1/5 - normal work day and then kate had basketball practice. kate was guarding mckenna during practice and jammed her thumb. she iced it and luckily it was on her left hand, so doing homework was fine. the flyers played so we watched them pull one out with ~30 seconds left to win the game. we just love watching them play.

friday 1/6 - crazy work day (last day for kristen and lindsey - so glad they won't be there anymore! and starting the transition to convert everything to heq.) and then kate had a basketball game at home vs hamburg. she had her thumb wrapped by the trainer and it didn't seem to affect her game at all... in fact, she had an outstanding game! she was playing awesome defense and made a few baskets too! she caused a lot of turnovers and was very aggressive. i love watching her play that way! we came home and watched the sixers play. it was their home opener and they had a few players from the past there. bobby jones, moses malone, and dr. j, and a few others. i remember watching them play when i was a kid.

saturday 1/7 - well, to say it was a lazy day is an understatement... i slept in until 11am and then stayed in bed watching tv with kate for another hour. it was great!! we watched the flyers play this afternoon. they squeeked it out and won in the last 6 seconds of the overtime! danny briere had a hat trick (and a fight)!! it was so cool!
we have been looking for houses in florida. it's hard looking for good neighborhoods - we need a good school with good athletic and academic programs, houses with a some land, but with neighbors. close to shopping without a lot of traffic, close enough to seaworld, but with low crime. ray was up until 3am last night looking at websites and he found that crime was higher in the dr phillips and windermere sections. we also decided against the 32828 orlando area because of the power plant and prison. even though it's farther away than what we have here, we decided that if we are paying that much for a house, we don't want them that close. so we decided to move to the oveido area. we seem to be able to find more land and exactly what we want. it's about 30 minutes from seaworld. i guess we can handle that... ;) i am so anxious to find out about ray's job... they expect to talk to the companies this week. it's hard to wait. after looking at houses and neighborhoods, i want to move now!!! we will be working on cleaning out the attic tomorrow. we are trying to prepare this house for moving. we can't spend anything on upgrades until ray is working, but we can clean it out. after that we will work on the basement.

kate has been playing outside all afternoon. she just loves being outside! luckily we are having a nice 50 degree day in january! she is going to LOVE being in florida in the winter!

ray and i are watching mel brooks - history of the world... it's so goofy!it's totally ray's sense of humor! i LOVE that we have such a great time together. he is always making me laugh!

once kate came home, we watched green lantern. it was so nice spending some time together as a family. ray and i watched the sixers (since i recorded it). i am so happy they are good enough to watch!

practice, practice, practice... and homework

2012-01-03T22:56:00.000-05:00

we always joke with Kate about "how do you get to carnegie hall?" - practice, practice, practice...

today was back to school and work for us. kate had school from 7:00-2:30, then basketball practice from 4:00-6:00, then volleyball practice from 6:00-8:00, then homework until 10:45... it was a VERY long day (for all of us!) i hate when she has these long days, but i am hoping it makes her a stronger student and athlete. she really learned a lot at volleyball tonight. it was her first day of travel and there were a LOT of fundamentals being taught. i know she didn't like when the coach would stop the drill and show her (and others) how to do something the correct way, but she will get so much out of it. she really listens and tries to make the appropriate changes, coaches LOVE her!! they worked on overhand serves at the end of practice and she was starting to have success.

i stepped outside of my comfort zone a bit and talked with one of the volleyball moms. we had a really nice time. i am so glad i did that!!!

off to highlight my hair and then bedtime... i am exhausted!

feeling blue (not sad)... (kate's post on facebook tonight)

2012-01-02T22:32:00.000-05:00

kate has wanted to color her hair for a while... i finally gave in and decided that it's only hair and it will come out. i wanted to put it underneath in the back, but she wanted it front and center. i didn't let it in for too long... i figured we would see how this went and then maybe do it stronger next time. we found blue, red, or ruby. she decided on blue because it's wyomissing colors. first step was to bleach the piece of hair, then wash that out. we then had to apply the color and wait about 10 minutes. we washed and conditioned and she blew it dry. it really isn't too bad...

my "little word" for 2012

2012-01-02T15:19:00.000-05:00

2012 - TREASURE...

my "little word" for 2012 is Treasure. i chose this word because i need to record, appreciate and treasure the everyday moments - not just the big events. with the huge changes about to happen in our lives, i really want to take the time to enjoy it and not just stress about it! i am trying to be more patient and understanding, so slowing down to document everything will help me to treasure this time, at least when i eventually have the time to slow down and enjoy it! i am excited to be journaling our lives. i know it's not all fun and games everyday, but our story needs to be told. i might miss a day or two, but that's just the reality of life and i am not going to put that pressure on myself. it's not about a a deadline, but about enjoying life and recording it. i think by keeping track each day, i am hoping i will be more motivated to do something each day. i don't mean it has to be something "show stopping", but just to get off the couch and do something. i want us all to have a healthier lifestyle, so getting off the couch will help that. we need to clean more too. i am going to work on one room a day and by just taking 15-30 minutes, i will be able to keep it manageable.

jan 1 - we went to mike and michele's. we love spending time with the them. we can truly be ourselves with them. we are very casual people, and it's so nice that they are too! we watched part of the eagles' game with them since tyler is so into them right now. he would jump up and down every time the team would score. it was adorable!! the kids did shrinky dinks... i haven't done them since i was a kid. kate really enjoyed designing them. we had a delicious pork and potato dinner. (it means good luck to have pork on jan 1). we then played uno roboto. it was a fun twist on the traditional uno game. then the kids played wii. nicole received nail manicure set for christmas, so i did the the girls nails (and mine :) )

jan 2 - kate was working on her science project and history project. for science, she is doing an experiment on how yeast reacts to sugar and sugar substitutes. there have been MANY issues, but i think she has finally figured it all out and it is working well. ray and i went and got haircuts this morning. i got a lot cut off, but it's still a bit of the same shape. we are hoping to clean out some of the attic today. with us hoping to hear about ray's potential job this week, we want to start preparing for it. there is only so much i can do by myself. we are planning on putting a lot in storage so we can have some insulation put in the attic. there are a few more things we need to do to the house to get it ready to sell.

the flyers are playing in the winter classic vs the rangers today. i just love watching them play. we watched the alumni game on saturday and i was brought to tears. between seeing some of my favorite players to listening to the "God Bless America" song with kate smith and lauren hart to watching bernie parent playing goalie at age 66. it brought me back to such incredible time in my life when i got to spend so much of my time with my nana - i still treasure that time. she was such a huge flyers' fan! i took a few minutes to think about how different my life would be without having that time with her. i am so lucky to have had that time. we definitely lost her too soon. i can only imagine how proud she would have been to see sean play hockey and kate play soccer/basketball/volleyball.

Here's the article that was in the Philly News by Tim Panaccio about one of my favorite players: Shjon Podein (#25)

Shjon Podein did several things in the Flyers Alumni Game he never would have done as a player under Terry Murray.

First, he logged 12:09 ice time. He took five shots on goal -- most of any teammate. And here’s the kicker: he got the game-winning goal.
Stuff like that never happens in reality. Only in your dreams.
Or, in this case, at a Winter Classic Alumni Game which the Flyers alums won, 3-1 over the Rangers.
“I definitely wasn’t thinking that,” Podein laughed when asked if he thought he’d score a goal, let alone a game-winner.
Podein tallied 44 goals during his four-plus years as a Flyer. Not many were game-winners, either. In his entire 11-year NHL career, he scored just 100 goals.
“I didn’t have a ton of goals, so this was pretty high up there,” he laughed. “It was a blast.”
His goal, off a Rick Tocchet assist, gave the Alums a 2-0 lead in the second period.
Ever get an ovation like that?
“Definitely, the most people in one area for sure,” Podein laughed. “I said it from Day One when I got here. Philly fans are the greatest. It’s not just a cliché. They’re unbelievable.
“They’re demanding. They’re harsh. They’re friendly. If you just give them everything you have, they respect you for it. That’s why it was so great playing here.”
We asked about his ice time.
“I was telling the guys after warmups today, that I doubled my ice time over the last five years,” Podein said. “That was awesome.”
Podein often plays in alumni games in Minnesota, where he grew up. The last organized game he played was in Tokyo in the 2006 Asia League Ice Hockey.
“I played for the Nikko Ice Bucks – that was my last organized game,” Podein recalled.
Incidentally, he had seven goals in 26 regular season games for Nikko that season.

GO FLYERS!!!!

family get together

2012-01-01T10:46:00.001-05:00

we had an impromptu family get together with uncle mark, aunt sherri, seth, christina, casey, josh, mom, dad, kelly, patrick, olivia, and us. it was so nice to see everyone. uncle was making us a variety of drinks... not sure what was in them, but i kept drinking! josh was playing helicopter with olivia. she would hold his thumbs and direct him around. she was having a blast! that was the only way they could get her to the car without fussing. then we ended up playing poker. this was kate's first time playing. she was doing a really good job! olivia had a blast with josh playing helicopter... but i think josh had just as much fun!

week before Christmas

2011-12-23T16:28:00.000-05:00

it's the week before Christmas, and all through the house...

ray had an interview in virginia for the overseas job. it went very well. we are so excited for this opportunity! we hope to find out soon!
kate had a lot of homework and projects due this week (and over the holiday break), basketball games and practice.
i didn't have much to do but help kate with projects and work.

kate had 2 basketball games this week. they played antietam and kutztown. they beat both of them by a lot. it was so nice to see them play well.

sean and brianna came over for dinner after kate's game. kate was talking a mile a minute about school and life. it was so cute. at one point, she turned to sean and said, so, how is your life? we also noticed that she is now up to his shoulders. she was thrilled!!

kate and i finished all her presents for her friends. we made ornaments out of paperback pages and mini paper bag albums for brittany and hannah. she's such a thoughtful kid! (even though i get to do a lot of the work!)

we are heading to uncle mark and aunt sherri's for an impromptu family get together. seth, christina, casey and josh are coming in and mom, dad, kelly, patrick, and olivia will be there also. i am sure there will be a bit of drinking and card playing...

a great sunday...

2011-12-18T20:29:00.000-05:00

kate and i started making ornaments for her to give her friends for Christmas gifts. she did a great job!

it was so nice to have the time to make a delicious meal for the family. i made my Nana's ham pot pie. yummo!!

we brought Titan in because of the cold (he is an outside dog - we keep a heater under his area under the covered porch.) it's kinda funny... he looks like he's on ice. he has to get used to the new hardwood floors.

pure JOY

2011-12-18T12:50:00.000-05:00

we celebrated Christmas with our best friends Mike, Michele, Nicole, and Tyler. Tyler is at the perfect age for surprises... We always get him a Hess truck. He LOVES them! This year he has really started getting into sports and Philly sports teams. He wanted an Eagles' shirt. We also got the kids ornaments (a tradition we have for our kids): Nicole - a Phillies' ornament; Tyler - a TowMater ornament.

cookie baking and gingerbread decorating

2011-12-14T22:52:00.000-05:00

We had a terrific time baking cookies at Kelly's on Saturday. It started off rough because we thought we left the gingerbread parts at home so Ray drove all the way back home, only to realize we did bring them and they were sitting on the dining room table under the aprons we brought. UGH! We then started putting the gingerbread houses together, unsuccessfully... I wasn't letting the icing dry long enough. Once I figured that out, we had it made. While they were drying, we started making cookies. The girls lasted for a little bit - adding the ingredients, stirring, and licking the beaters. Kate was a pro with putting eggs in the bowl. Olivia was hysterical when she was keeping extra chocolate chips when dumping them in the bowl. She kept a secret stash for herself! Then they played while we dropped them and put them in the oven. We made sugar cutout cookies, chocolate chip cookies, lemon cake cookies, oatmeal raisin cookies, and chocolate chip pretzel cookies. We finally got to decorate the houses. What a blast! Our first gingerbread houses.

Kate invited Hannah over on Sunday night to decorate gingerbread houses. They had so much fun. She's a sweet kid.

Kate's gingerbread house

Hannah's gingerbread house

Kate had a basketball game vs. Oley on Tuesday. She played GREAT!! She was rebounding and making really great plays. She even had a few baskets. They won 33-5.

Kate and I went shopping tonight for her Christmas gifts. We both hate shopping, but we had a great mother/daughter bonding time. She was so cute with checking to see if certain clothes were in style. My little girl is growing up!!

Christmas time

2011-12-09T21:03:00.000-05:00

I haven't been in much of a Christmas spirit lately... but things are turning around. The tree is up and decorated (just missing the angel). I do get a bit nostalgic looking at all the old ornaments that we have gotten the kids over the years. I can't believe how old the kids have gotten and how fast it has flown by. Aunt Sherri just gave me fresh greens and holly. I will put them up tomorrow. Kate and I just made gingerbread house pieces to decorate at our girls' baking day tomorrow with Mom, Kelly, and Olivia. Should be a lot of fun!

Kate made the J-Stroke volleyball U13 Jive team. She is so excited!! I am thrilled!! I absolutely love volleyball and I am so happy she loves it too. The practices start in January and the tournaments start in February.

Kate's been keeping busy with junior high basketball. They had their first scrimmage yesterday and they looked pretty good for their first time playing together. There are a few of the same girls playing from last year's travel team. There are a few who are new and need to get caught up with the existing travel team.

I have started scrapping again and it feels so good to be creative again. I am making Mom and Olivia mini albums for Christmas. I have been able to get together with my scrap friends lately and it's been so nice to catch up.

new stuff...

2011-08-02T14:13:00.000-04:00

well, it's been a while! i have been inspired by ali edwards to start documenting more of my life. (with my memory the way it is, it will help me remember too!!! :) i would have loved to have had this information about my grandparents and other relatives, so now is as good a time as any. i will be taking more pictures...i know, how can i take more pictures... i will be taking more pictures of everyday life and of myself (in my journal of self improvement). now that i am 40, i am starting to take a look at my life and trying to "get it right". i want to be a better wife, mother, friend, and person. what i have realized is that i will not allow people to treat me poorly. i am still trying to find the fine line between not being friends and just being acquaintances. i also have to not take things so personally. people won't change unless they want to... BIG LIFE LESSON!

we are in the process of trying to relocate to Florida. anyone who knows me, knows this is a HUGE life changing decision. i have never lived outside of Berks County, PA! (well, i actually did before i was 2, but i don't remember it) i can't wait to start this new journey! as soon as ray finds a job, we will be putting our house up for sale. i already have homes in Florida that i like, so that should be no problem. we have scouted out the schools and soccer programs for kate. she is excited as well! she will get to play soccer year round outside.

i haven't had a chance to scrap as much as i would like... we changed my scraproom into a spare bedroom to prep the house to sell. most of my supplies are in storage and the rest are on my dining room table right now. i have a few crops coming up in the next few months that i am REALLY looking forward to!

as part of my new beginning, we decided to go camping (in a tent...). kate had never been camping before and it's been years since ray and i had gone. we had a fantastic time! we found (thanks to michelle) a really cute campground close to home called lake-in-wood camping resort. kate got to build a fire, fish, hike, roast marshmallows, and sleep in a tent.

updates

2009-12-20T10:20:00.012-05:00

Well, we lucked out and only got 8 inches of snow. Our streets are already plowed and clear! We cleared out our cars so now we can really enjoy this snow. Katie was out for most of the day yesterday and today playing with friends in the snow. I hope to get some good pictures today ~ no luck... I did get all the presents wrapped!!! I am ready for Christmas!!

We were supposed to spend yesterday with Kelly to celebrate her birthday, but because of the snow we cancelled. We ended up chilling out all day and watching movies. I got some cute shots of Sean and Brianna.

Ray just got a new shop vac which has a detachable motor for blowing leaves. Well... he decided to try it on the snow. It worked pretty well!

We are almost ready for Christmas. All the shopping is done, the cards are out. We have to bake cookies but the wrapping is done. It's not that same having no little ones in the house (if you know what I mean... HO HO HO), but it is nice being able to wrap ahead of time. No more 2 am Christmas Eves!!!! I think everyone will be pleased this year with their gifts. I have been using mine for a few months already... my new camera!!!

We spent last Saturday with Mike, Michele, Nicole, and Tyler. We had a great time, as usual! The girls made chocolate caramel chex mix. We chilled out watching Christmas movies all day. The kids made puppets out of pom poms and put on a play.

We decorated our tree last weekend. I always get so sentimental when decorating the tree. We get the kids ornaments every year, so when we get them out, it's like taking a trip down Memory Lane. I really can't believe how fast the time has gone.

We went down to the zoo with Kelly, Patrick, and Olivia at the end of November. We finally got to see Batu, the baby orangutan, who was born on October 2nd. They were finally able to examine the baby and find out it's a GIRL!!!! She is absolutely adorable. Tua has really taken well to being a mom.

Katie and I went to see Olivia in her Little Kickers Soccer Program. She was more adorable than ever!!! Katie really got a "kick" out of seeing Olivia playing soccer. She can't wait until she can show her some tricks.

It was a rare occasion, but the 4 of us went to Philly for the day on Nov. 13th. We just walked around for a while seeing some of the sites. If you go down, don't forget to get tickets to see Independence Hall at the Constitution Center. Our guide was absolutely FANTASTIC! He was a small man, but had an extremely booming voice and he was extremely knowledgeable! It was a great day.

We have been VERY busy with Katie's soccer and basketball. She usually has practices 4-5 nights a week. I haven't been scrapping as much I would like, but I figure I will have plenty of time to do that when the kids are older and out of the house. Right now I am just trying to enjoy having them home.

congratulations seth & christina!!!

2009-11-09T12:02:00.006-05:00

My cousin Seth married his soul mate on Saturday. Welcome to the family Christina!! They are so perfect for each other! The day was gorgeous. They couldn't have asked for nicer weather in November. I think I was most impressed by how calm they both were and how much they each seemed to really enjoy every minute of the day.

The reception lasted well into the night. The music was great! We were all dancing throughout the night. Katie and Sean were really cutting a rug! It was so nice to have so much of the family together for such a beautiful occasion.

Travel Basketball

2009-11-04T12:05:00.000-05:00

We are so proud of Katie. She made the 5th grade travel basketball team!!!! YEAH KATIE!!!

Scraptacular Fall Fest Crop NOV 9th-15th

2009-10-30T10:49:00.002-04:00

Announcing our Fall Fest Online Crop! This crop will a whole week long running from November 9-15th. We will have lots of challenges, make-n-takes and games plus LOTS of prizes. There will also be TWO winners this time for our grand prizes!
Mark your calendars for this awesome event! You won't want to miss it! More details to follow soon…

http://www.itsscraptacular.com/main/?page_id=204/online-crops

catching up...

2009-10-30T09:45:00.015-04:00

Maybe one of these days I will be able to write in the blog every week...
We have had a very busy month!!

Katie's U11 club team won the Wilson Tournament!! This is the first time they have ever won a tournament. I am so proud of how they played. They all seemed to work together and play as a team! Katie's skills have really improved since playing with FC and she really showcased them in these games.

We got to see Nicole play in a game as well. She is really turning into a great soccer player!!! Keep up the good work! and... it turns out that Katie's homeroom/science teacher's daughter plays on Nicole's team. Mrs. Kline got to see Katie play and was very impressed.
Katie's U12 club team came in 2nd. It's disappointing because they broke down for a quarter and lost a game which caused them to come in second. Some of the girls on that team are VERY selfish and are not team players... Katie played incredible soccer against girls 2 levels above her. The U11 girls that played up for them played their hearts out and never gave up!

I was away at the crop for a cure that weekend. (Luckily it's local and I got to see 5 out of the 7 games she played) It's an amazing crop which raised over $5000 for the American Cancer Society. (i even won a snuggie!!! it's a joke between me and Katie, so i entered the drawing for it and actually won!!! i must admit... it's very warm!) i had a great time with some good friends.

We went to Roadside America with Mike, Michele, Nicole, & Tyler. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it was really neat! I thought it was just going to be model trains on display, but they have a HUGE village set up. There are buttons for the kids to push to make things move in the display as well. I was surprised how intrigued Nicole and Katie were with it. I knew Tyler would love it! It was adorable to see his face light up when he saw the trains!

Katie had basketball tryouts for 5th grade basketball. They have an intramural team and a travel team. I think she is going to make both teams. She has really matured as a player and makes good decisions! She, of course, was very aggressive which doesn't hurt! I overheard her old coach make a comment about how coachable she is all the time! We are so proud of her!! During a scrimmage she went against the teacher who was running that station. She didn't back down and really guarded her well. The teacher actually came up to me and commented how impressed she was with Katie's intensity. Again... another proud moment!

We had girls night out and saw Cirque du Soliel with Mom. We were lucky enough to get tickets on the floor at the Sovereign Center in Reading. What an amazing show!!!! Katie LOVED it!! My favorite part was the acrobatics and Katie's favorite part was the clowns.

Katie's school has a neat event for her grade... The 5th grade sleepover. She had a BLAST! They had activities for the kids, but Katie's favorite part was being with her friends. They even made a coffee cake for the breakfast on Saturday morning. She was a bit tired the next day... They went to bed around 12:30am and were up around 6:00am. Ray and I took the opportunity for a childless night and went to dinner at Austins and then watched The Proposal.

We went down to the Franklin Institute with Randall, Michelle, Jonathan, Monica, & Mikey. We had a great time! The Body World exhibit was a bit revealing... but it was cool. They had skeletons with muscles, cartilage, etc... AND they were anatomically correct! There were a few male and female skeletons. The males looked like they had 3 penises because there was no sack around the balls... Katie kept pointing it out to Mikey. He came up to me and told me he thought I needed to have "THE TALK" with Katie. I just love what kids come up with!! After I explained the sack was missing, she understood. She still thought it was gross... Wheewww... I have a few more years of innocence!

We missed out on 2 opportunities to go pumpkin picking because of this horrendous rain we have been having lately, so we had to jam it into last Sunday since Halloween is tomorrow! We went to Wilcox Farm in Boyertown again this year. I like supporting local farmers whenever we can. We picked a few gourds and a few pumpkins (Katie said we had to have 4 since there are 4 of us in the family). We went on a tractor ride with Mr. Wilcox driving. He would stop it throughout the ride and tell us some stories. I didn't realize he bought the farm in 1946!! I love listening to him. He seems like such a kind soul, a genuinely nice man.

We left just enough time for Katie to get make it to her FC game. She was supposed to get changed in the car... one problem... she left her clothes at home! We had to go from Boyertown, to home, to Fleetwood. (We were originally only 15 minutes from Boyertown to Fleetwood.) Oh well... we made it in time and Katie had a phenomenal game! They won 3-1!!!

After the game, we ran down to the zoo to try to catch a glimpse at the new baby orangutan. NO LUCK... they are still keeping momma and baby in seclusion. They said probably a few more weeks. Since it wasn't too warm out, most of the animals were very active!! This was also the first time at the zoo with my new camera!!! I got some incredible shots! The tigers were extremely spirited! They were constantly on the move. I could just sit and watch them all day!

Spoiled Rotten!!

2009-10-07T22:34:00.003-04:00

Well... I am completely spoiled! Ray bought me a Canon Rebel T1i. I LOVE IT!!!!! He also got me an external flash, awesome lens, bag, memories cards, and extra battery packs. It was so hard to be at work knowing it was at home! I have a LOT to learn, but here are a few of the pics I took playing around with it...

I cannot wait to use it outside! The zoom lens is going to be amazing for Katie's soccer games!!! (good thing she has 7 games this weekend! I will get a lot of practice!)

It's the most wonderful time of the year....

2009-10-02T11:58:00.004-04:00

I can honestly say, this is one of my favorite times of the year... I get to watch my Flyers AND my Phillies!!! The Phils clinched the NL East on Wednesday and the Flyers start the regular season tonight! Anyone who knows me can tell you that I am extremely PASSIONATE about hockey. It all stems back to my childhood and watching games with my Nana. Some of my best memories are when we were watching the Phillies or the Flyers together. I miss her terribly!

We have a busy weekend ahead of us. Tonight we are going to Kauffman's Chicken and back to our best friends' house to celebrate Michele's birthday. Tomorrow Katie has 2 soccer games (back to back in different locations!! this should be interesting! hopefully there are no cops at that time!). Then we are off to Mom's to celebrate her birthday. Sunday, Katie has a game in downingtown. Hopefully Kelly, Patrick, & Olivia will be able to make it since it's the same place Olivia plays Lil' Kickers.

Hope everyone has a terrific weekend!

2009-10-01T08:49:00.003-04:00

WOO HOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 3-PEAT! NL East CHAMPS, again!!!!! (and with 4 games left in the season!) and where are the Mets - at home watching sports center?!?!?!?!

We miss our VOICE, but he is looking down on us with a smile. How sweet was that! The entire team paying tribute to Harry.

They don’t call him the FLYIN’ HAWAIIAN for nothin’!!!!!!

Mini Vacation - Ocean City NJ

2009-09-23T08:47:00.007-04:00

We had an amazing weekend! We spent the weekend at the Jersey shore with our family. We couldn't have asked for better weather!!! Katie and I built a sandcastle only to have it sacrificed to the ocean... I thought the water was cold, but Katie still went in!!! It was so nice that she could use the boogie board and we just had to sit by the edge of the water. It was a bit windy on Saturday so Katie had a blast flying a kite, Boompa and Nana even got into the fun! We got to see a perfect sunset from the top deck at Uncle Mark and Aunt Sherri's house. It was amazing!!!

Katie and I got up early on Sunday morning and went to the beach to see the sunrise. I think this is going to be our annual tradition. It's a very special time the two of us get to share with each other. It's so peaceful and serene at that time of the morning. We even saw a few dolphins!! It looked like 1 adult and 2 babies. We had another amazing day at the beach. The boys tried some surf fishing, but had no luck. Olivia doesn't like the ocean, so she wouldn't go in, but I think that's a blessing in disguise! Kel didn't have to worry about her in the water. We played a round of trivial pursuit - Boys vs. Girls... all I can say is that we did have fun. There was an air show in Atlantic City so we got to see some really cool planes.

oh.. by the way... even though it's September, you can still burn...

This is a great group shot of us all.

crazy month

2009-08-30T12:13:00.008-04:00

well... it's been an absolutely crazy month!
I have been working non-stop on soccer for the club. This is my first year as registrar, so it was a learning experience, to say the least!!! I think I finally have the hang of it. I spent a LOT of days at the soccer field trying to gather the paperwork/pictures I needed to get the players registered.

Katie started playing soccer for FC Revolution. The difference is absolutely AMAZING even after only 2 weeks of practices. Coach Skip is incredible! He has the girls doing drills and they think it's just fun tricks. They don't realize how much they are learning! She will also be a secondary player for the club U11 and U12 teams.

We celebrated Katie's 10th birthday! I can't believe my baby girl is 10! I no longer have any kids in single digits... this really makes me feel old! We went to Tailgaters after her soccer practice for dinner. It was fun cooking the steaks at the big grill. We will be having her family birthday party on Labor Day. She also wants a kids' party at Laser Quest. We will have to schedule that on a Friday night in September. I have been watching WAY TOO MUCH 'Cake Boss' and 'Ace of Cakes'... I decided to make Katie a Beluga Whale. Not too bad for my first time. the body should have been a little bigger, but you get the idea.

We were at Nicole's Red Belt Testing. It was so cool to see her put all that hard work into action! She did very well and received her Red Belt. We then went to her 8th birthday party. It's amazing how time flies!!!

We went to the Old Fiddlers' Picnic at Hibernia Park in Chester County. What a great day!!! We went with Mom, Dad, Kelly, Patrick, and Olivia. It was such a beautiful and relaxing day.

Anyone who knows Ray, knows he is a jokester! He always teases us that we are witches with flying monkeys and brooms... He was teasing Katie one day that she is just a witch in training. She responded by saying she is not... She doesn't have a spell book. I turned to her and said, "We give that to you on your 10th birthday!" I can't believe I thought of something so quickly!! I was able to get an old leather bound book from the Gently Used Bookstore in Douglassville. Ray and I had so much fun shopping for things to decorate it. I am so happy with how it turned out!!! When we gave it to her, she had a nervous laugh, like it could really be a Spell Book!! After I told her it wasn't real, she laughed! This is going to be a fun tradition to hand down to future generations!!!!

I got to spend a weekend at the Hamburg Hideaway with some old and new friends. I had such a nice time... didn't get much done, but what else is new!!! I did work on Katie's spell book and the September Kit from Scraptacular.

2009-07-14T20:21:00.003-04:00

Scraptacular Summer Soiree Online Crop

It's almost time for our second ever online crop! Boy, are we excited!!! We really had a lot of fun last time and you can expect more of the same. For those of you not familiar with our online crops, they are a whole weekend full of games, challenges, make-n-takes and prizes. You have the whole weekend to complete our challenges in your own time!Of course, we couldn't wait for Friday so we have started a contest already. All you have to do to be entered is post this banner to your blog or another board where allowed:(If you don't know how, refer to our blinkie/banner tutorial on the forum).

Here is the link to the banner: http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa47/scraptacular8/summersoireeblinkie.jpg

Once you post it, link back to it in the forum and we will pick a winner on Monday, July 20th.We'd really love to have you play along with us this weekend so stop on over to the forum and sign up if you have not already!

We will post a sneak peek everyday of some of the challenges and projects you will find during the crop.And of course, we can't forget the grand prize! Every time you complete a challenge you will receive an entry into our grand prize drawing for a HUGE prize pack of October Afternoon and My Mind's Eye goodies worth over $50!!!

Hope to see you then!

blog candy giveaway on taryn's blog

2009-06-30T22:44:00.001-04:00

http://musingsandmemories-taryn.blogspot.com/

jump over to Taryn's blog and check out her giveaway!

New Message Board at Scraptacular

2009-06-18T14:39:00.002-04:00

We are very excited to announce our brand new website!Our site has been completely re-vamped to be more user-friendly for you. We have a new gallery where you can upload your latest creations or check out what others are working on. There is also a brand new Forum where you can discuss all things scrappy and non-scrappy. We will be keeping the old message board for you to reference if you need it but all future posts will be on the new forum. The new website will also feature a page about our Design Team so you can get to know them better, as well as a calendar so you can keep track of all of our upcoming events.

See it all here www.itsscraptacular.com.

And here is the best part!

With all this new fun comes a chance for you to get some free stuff. There are several ways to do this. First, anyone who registers for our new site will receive a coupon via email for $5 off your next purchase. Better yet, if you tell a friend they will get a coupon and you'll get ANOTHER one. All for spreading the word! Make sure you post on the forum that you signed a friend up so we can give you the credit. The coupon is redeemable both online and in the store. Directions will be emailed with your coupon.And here's another way to get free stuff. We will be having a gallery challenge from now until June 30th. All you have to do is create a folder in our gallery and start uploading pictures. The person with the most pictures wins a $25 gift certificate to the store!As usual we will be posting a challenge every week on the board. But in honor of our new website we will be offering a prize for each challenge. One winner per challenge will be drawn at random for the rest of the month of June.

So hop on over to the message board for your chance at all these free goodies!

The Great Outdoors!

2009-06-12T15:51:00.009-04:00

I LOVE this time of year! The windows are open, the birds are singing, and the flowers are blooming. The garden has really done well this year. I spent a lot of time last fall making boxes out of chicken wire to house my bulbs. It worked!! The squirrels and chipmunks didn't get to them and they came up beautifully. We just mulched and it looks even nicer! My lillies are coming up right now and the orange really pops against the green stems and dark brown mulch.

Katie is now a 5th grader!!! Where has the time gone? I got to help at school for her class picnic and class field day. We had a lot of fun. She is really going to miss Mrs. Paulson! (hopefully we will see her at the next Phillies' Championship Parade!)

We have already gone to the Philly Zoo twice this year (already paid for the membership we bought). We went with Kelly, Patrick, & Olivia in May and Mike, Michele, Nicole, & Tyler in June. It's amazing how different the experience is when you go with toddlers! They are so excited and enthusiastic to see the animals. Katie likes to go and learn about the animals. Although I learn a lot, it's not the same as a toddler making monkey or lion sounds!!!

Katie had her last soccer of the spring season on May 30th. She played in a 3v3 tournament at Amity. It was a great experience! They were 1-2-1, but they were in every game. There were only 4 of them and they each got a lot of playing time! Their games were at 1, 2, 3:30, & 5:30. We needed afternoon games because Katie had a basketball game that morning. We also had the pleasure of watching Olivia for the weekend. She is such a blast!!!

Katie started playing in 2 summer basketball leagues. All I can say is it's going to be a LONG summer! The girls on the other teams have been taught to steal and be aggressive. Our girls have not... enough said! Katie was guarding against a girl who was taller than me! Oh well, it's a learning experience. Her coach is really good, so I am sure he will help them improve their skills. This will get her ready for travel basketball in the winter.

Hopefully the weather will be nice and the kids can spend most of the summer at the pool.

I have been working on soccer every night. I think next year will go much better now that I know what I need. It helped speaking with other registrars at the clinic the other night.

I haven't had much of a chance to scrapbook, but I did make a "star" mini album for a future crop. It is cute! We had our Secret Sister reveal last Sunday. Darlene was my secret sister. She gave me incredible gifts! I actually caught her husband dropping off a gift one month, but I didn't know who he was, so it didn't give it away! I was Beth's secret sister. She knew it was me! It was pretty easy to tell because I didn't buy anything for "my secret sister" from her. Almost everyone else did! Oh well... it was a lot of fun. After the reveal we went to lunch at Sonic and then shopping at Fancy That and Times to Remember. We then had dinner at On The Border. I love getting together with the girls. Lots of laughs!

Ray only has 9 more working days left of work! Time really does fly!

update...

2009-05-26T10:48:00.016-04:00

just a quick update since i have been a bad blogger...

it's been a crazy couple of months!!

katie's spring soccer league is over. they ended up 4-2 for the season. they didn't fair so well in the mother's day tournament, but they never seem to play well in tournaments! it's the end of the school year for katie - which means... lots of parties, field trips, and field days! she is playing in a 3x3 soccer tournament in amity this weekend. should be interesting! summer basketball is getting ready to start. she is supposed to have her first practice tonight... weather permitting. she will be playing in 2 leagues, one on saturdays and one on mondays/wednesdays. katie just had her spring concert. she played the trumpet and sang in the chorus. she developed an infection in her gum. her face puffed up on the left side and her eye was closed for almost a day. poor thing, had to have a baby tooth pulled, but now she feels so much better.

day 1

day 2

day 3

day 4

day 5

sean finished his freshman year at shippensburg and is now home looking for a summer job. he also turned 19! oh my... where has the time gone?

ray has ~30 days left until his job is done. he is looking for a new job... hopefully closer to home!

as for me... special olympics went better than ever! it was a beautiful day!!! i am now the registrar for our soccer club, so i have been busy trying to get them organized and online. it's a HUGE undertaking! i will be volunteering at katie's school for her school party and field day. i haven't had many chances to scrap. i have some pages and a mini album almost ready to go for the June kit for ItsScraptacular. I LOVE THIS KIT!!!! check it out on June 1st. http://www.itsscraptacular.com/?q=node/1

check out my sneak peaks....

well... that's it for now. thanks for checkin' in on us.

Kodak Printers STINK!

2009-04-03T18:55:00.004-04:00

DO NOT BUY A KODAK PRINTER!!!!!! This is the 3rd printhead in less than 2 years that has had to be replaced. Their customer service is horrible!!! I am "chatting" with their support (from I don't know where...) and have wasted two hours of my time. I am also on hold with the "live" support and have been on with them for more than one hour. I think this schmuck thinks I will hang up! Joke's on him!!!!

Online Crop at Scraptacular

2009-04-02T19:36:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow starts the online weekend crop at Scraptacular. http://www.scraptacular.proboards.com

Sign up at the board to join in on the fun! There are lots of great challenges and an prizes!

Spring Training

2009-03-16T17:38:00.010-04:00

Well, Ray and Katie are back from Spring Training. And my peace and quite is over! JK

They had a blast! Katie couldn't stop thanking me!

Unfortunately the Phils lost both games, but it is Spring Training and most of the regulars didn't play. I was disappointed that the players did not sign autographs at either game. Katie did end up getting a game ball from one of the umpires.

She got #75 - Jason Donald to sign the ball. According to Schmidt, he is going to be someone to watch in the future. He plays 3rd base and short stop. We are going to try to keep our eye on him. Hopefully he will play in Reading and we will get to see him.

Jamie Moyer pitched the first game. Katie loves him!

It's weird seeing Pat in a different jersey! He's still nice to look at!!! ;)

Ray took Katie to Clearwater Beach after the game on Friday. She didn't have her bathing suit, but that didn't stop her!!!

She also got to jump on the large trampoline.

It was a great trip for them. This might become an annual event! (but I think I am going next time!!)

Katie has become a pro at passing the time in the airport!

FUNNY STORY::: Ray felt the back of his neck getting sunburned, so he decided to flip his hat around to protect his neck... He totally forgot about the opening in the back of the hat. Check out his forehead!!

Florida

2009-03-11T22:21:00.003-04:00

Ray and Katie made it safe and sound to Florida today. They go to their first Phillies' Spring Training game tomorrow. Katie is thrilled!!! Will keep everyone updated.

Special Trip

2009-02-23T22:43:00.004-05:00

Well, Katie and Ray LOVED the trip to Florida I secretly planned for them. They will be seeing 2 Phillies spring training games in March.

I made them cards that had the Phillies' spring training logo and it said "pack your bags". Katie knew right away! Her reaction totally lived up to how I wished she would react! She is so excited and can't stop talking about it.

We surprised Katie tonight with tickets to Friday night's Flyers game. She has been asking to go to a game for a couple of years. We think she is finally at the age to appreciate the game and not just want to go and get snacks. We got club box seats behind the Flyers bench. (the club box has it's own bathroom so we don't have to wait in those long lines!!!! - definitely worth the added price.)

I just returned from a weekend away with 2 old friends and 5 new ones at the Hamburg Hideaway. I wasn't very productive but I had fun! I even did shots of tequilla.

Scraptacular has a new message board. http://www.scraptacular.proboards.com/ To celebrate our "new" message board launch we are having a party!!! All this month and next month we will be hosting contests and challenges with exciting prizes and fun giveaways. This exciting event will culminate in an online crop with a grand prize drawing to receive a prize package of Fancy Pants goodies worth $50! Come join us!!!!!

Where did this month go???

2009-02-01T08:15:00.008-05:00

Well... I have NO idea where this month went!

I have been working a ton of hours lately! I go in early some days (which is getting much harder for me now that I am older...) and stay late other days (when Ray is working from home). I am excited to announce that I just got a promotion!! I am now the Director of our HRA division. It's a new division so I get to mold it from the ground up. I am absolutely thrilled! I am, however, still the project manager and operations manager for our HSA division. I don't know where I am going to find the time, but I am sure I will. (like going in today for a few hours and bringing work home.)

I am taking over as registrar for Katie's soccer club. Right now I am "learning the ropes" from the old registrar. He is so archaic in his ways! I am working on getting everything automated. I will be taking over completely in May.~~ I know... what was I thinking????

Special Olympics is coming up soon. I will be spending all of my waking hours getting all the athletes entered and in heats. Last year was the first year I didn't feel overwhelmed and I wasn't up until 2am the night before! I think after more than 10 years of doing it, I finally have the process down!! I can't wait for the event. It is one of my favorite days of the year.

I took some time off from scrappin' because of my schedule. I finally had the time to get some pages done. They are in the new slide show on the side of the page titled 2009. I have been scrapping a lot of our trip to Florida. The trip was so incredible and I am struggling a little with the pages because I want them to be perfect.

I have a HUGE surprise planned for Ray and Katie in March. I never realized how hard it is to keep a secret from Ray!!! I can't wait to reveal it. I am not sure how I am going to do it, but i will be sure to let you know when I do!

We celebrated 2 birthdays this month. Mine and Olivia's. Olivia turned 2!!! I can't believe how old she is getting. We were not able to go to her birthday party because Katie was attending a friend's party. We did get to babysit her at the beginning of the month. We had a blast!

Katie has been busy playing basketball and LOVING it!! We are so proud of her. She has really turned into a great player! She is tenacious on defense and she is making a fair amount of baskets! They play 5x5, full length court, and regulation height baskets. They match up the players on each side to defend against each other and Katie is usually picked to defend against the best player on the other team. She is very intense... I don't know where she gets that from!!! ;)

Thanks for taking the time to read about our lives.

Page Maps

2009-01-01T09:20:00.003-05:00

I have a page in this month's collection at Page Maps! http://www.pagemaps.com/ The page is titled "They Will Not Fit In The Bathtub!". It's a horizontal 8.5x11 side map.

The journaling reads:

It was the experience of a lifetime! Sean and Katie got to interact with the 2 young Beluga Whales at SeaWorld (Klondike and Aurek). They were able to spend 20 minutes with them. They gave them hand signals to do the tricks, got to feed them fish, and got a hug & kiss from them. Katie actually did a report on Beluga Whales earlier this year at school. They are her favorite whales, so this was extra special for her. Sean didn't stop smiling the whole time! The kids had to wear wet suits because the water temp was 52 F! They didn't mind though. The kids got the whales to tail walk, wave their fins, spin around, jump out of the water, and my favorite, spit water at them! They even got them to speak! The kids enjoyed it so much they wanted to bring them home with us! Sorry kids... THEY WILL NOT FIT IN THE BATHTUB!

Our Vacation to Florida - Day 8

2008-12-29T14:05:00.009-05:00

We stumbled across the Beluga Whale Interaction Program at SeaWorld while checking out the park. We tried signing up for it online in the hotel room Friday morning. You have to order at least 2 days in advance. That was out... We were leaving Saturday. We made our way over to SeaWorld on Friday and decided to check with the front desk. Ray talked to a very nice guy and found out there were 2 openings on Saturday morning! He also gave us a major discount! It was a win/win. The kids got a 1 hour experience. 20 actual minutes in the water with the whales. Because they are babies, you don't actually swim with them. Their names are Klondike and Aurek. They are a grey color because they are babies. They will be completely white when they are adults. The kids had to put on wet suits because they keep the water at 52 degrees. They got to help train the whales and feed them fish. They got them to tail walk, speak, turn in the water, jump out of the water, fin wave, and many other tricks. My favorite was when the whales spit water at the kids!

This was such an experience of a lifetime!

This was our last day in Florida. We were sad to leave. It was an absolutely awesome vacation. Memories that will last forever!

We got back to Philly around 9:40pm. It was 30 degrees. I certainly didn't miss that!

Our Vacation to Florida - Day 7

2008-12-29T00:56:00.005-05:00

We returned to SeaWorld to go back to the exhibits we liked or missed the first time. We took the Predators Tour. We went behind the scenes of the Shamu Stadium and the Shark Tank. We learned a lot about the animals. I didn't realize the tricks the animals do in the shows are all activities they perform in the wild. The trainers just work with them to train them when to perform them. Katie and I got to pet a shark. We also saw shark eggs. There were transparent and you could see the baby sharks inside.

The kids wanted us to go see the Pearl Divers. I felt bad for them. They looked bored out of their minds! The guy was blowing bubble rings and the girl kept swimming up and down. Sean thought she was cute... He actually posed with her!

One of our favorite spots was the Dolphin Nursery. Dolphins have a 12 month gestational period. They put them in the nursey in their last trimester. They also keep the new babies and thier mothers in there for 18 months while the babies nurse. They were so playful and fun.

Sean and Katie went back on the Kraken while Ray and I stayed at the Dolphin Nursery.

We got to feed the dolphins!!! I HIGHLY recommend it! It was so much fun! You get to pet them before you feed them. They are just gorgeous creatures!

Ray and I decided that we want to move down there when we retire. (only during the winter...) We are going to both work at SeaWorld!!

Our Vacation to Florida - Day 6

2008-12-28T23:05:00.005-05:00

We picked the PERFECT day to visit Aquatica. The temp was around 82 degrees and it was sunny most of the day. Aquatica is the new water park affiliated with SeaWorld. And the best feature... the water is heated! There is an Australian theme throughout the park. All the announcements are in an Australian accent. It sounds like the Crocodile Hunter is talking to you all day.

The first ride is the Dolphin Plunge. The water tube goes through the tank of Black and White Commerson Dolphins. How neat is that!!! Ray said you go too fast to see the dolphins, but I did see some people slowing up through the tubes to try to see the dolphins. I got an AWESOME view at the underwater viewing site. The dolphins were so cute! They were playing every time we stopped by.

Ray, Sean, and Katie went on the Tassie's Twisters. You climb the tower with your tube. Once you get to the top, lightning fast tubes shoot you into a giant bowl, where you spin, and spin, and spin, until you're finally spun back out into the lazy river. I even joined everyone in the lazy river. It was so relaxing! There are 2 different routes while in the river. One route you view gorgeous fish in an aquarium and the other route you see the Black and White Commerson Dolphins.

Ray, Sean, & Katie went on the Walhalla Wave. It's a 6-story maze of twists, turns, and tunnels. (it's the dark blue tube on the left)

They have an adorable play area called Walkabout Waters. This towering, 60-foot-tall rain fortress is bursting with color, excitement, and adventures waiting to begin. It has 2 buckets at the top that dump water on unsuspecting victims below. It's fun to watch!! Ray's and Katie's favorite part is dumping water or squirting water on people below. They are so bad!!!

Taumata Racer is an insane ride! It's a high-speed competitive mat ride where up to eight racers rip down a staggeringly steep hill, head first!! Sean is on the green lane to the left, Ray is on the green lane to the right, and Katie is in the yellow lane to the right.

My favorite part of the park was the Roa's Rapids. It's an awesome adventure through a roaring sea of high tides, swirling whirlies, and gushing geysers- all at speeds that leave ordinary river rides eating this one's wake. You don't use tubes. You just get in the water and go with the water. The bottom is a little slippery so you can keep your feet on the ground and still move around the rapids.

We also went to Big Surf Shores. It's a big wave pool. It started getting me nauseous by the second set of waves. While Ray and I lounged in the pool, the kids went on Whanau Way. They dive down slides on double inner tubes.

It was an awesome day! I got a little sunburnt, but it was worth it. We had to stop by the Commerson Dolphins one last time before leaving.

Our Vacation to Florida - Day 5

2008-12-19T08:43:00.010-05:00

Today we went to SeaWorld. This was what I was looking forward to the whole trip! Our first encounter was at Turtle Point. We got to see endangered and threatened species of Sea Turtles. They were turtles who were injured.

Our next stop was Stingray Lagoon. They are slimy little buggers!! They have a mucus covering to help them against disease. Sean and Ray fed them. Katie wasn't interested in touching the little fish.

We wandered over to Dolphin Cove. The dolphins were so close! You are able to feed the dolphins for an additional cost. (Don't forget to bring cash... they don't accept Visa or MasterCard) We decided to come back and feed the dolphins the next day after we stopped at MAC to get cash. We did go to the underwater viewing section and saw those magnificent animals playing. They are so graceful and beautiful!

Next it was onto the Manatee Rescue. We lucked out. It was feeding time. It's amazing to know they only eat spinach and lettuce!

We had the awesome experience of feeding the sea lions and seals. They are loud creatures, especially when they are hungry! The birds were trying to grab the fish before the seals and sea lions. They are definitely pests!

Our timing was pretty good! They were about to start the "Blue Horizon" Dolphin Show. There were acrobats, dolphins, and birds. Katie and I sat in the front row of the SPLASH ZONE! We got wet, but it wasn't too bad. Katie posed with some of the actors after the show.

Onto Journey of Atlantis. It is a water coaster ride. Ray, Sean, and Katie got the "pleasure" of going on this ride... I was more than happy to sit this one out! The ride lets you off in the gift shop (like they all do...). Inside the gift shop is an aquarium. There are fish in the floor, ceiling, and walls. It was really cool!

The kids decided they needed to "kick it up a notch" and go on a REAL ride! They went on the Kraken. It is the longest roller coaster in Orlando! It has twists and turns and it made me very nervous!!! The kids had a blast!

After the Kraken, we journeyed through the Penguin Encounter. The Fiordland Crested Penguins were hysterical! They were diving and swimming around like little kids. The King Penguins moved in miltary like formation.

Our next adventure was going into the Shark Encounter. The moving sidewalk through the shark tank was great! The sharks were swiming aside and ABOVE us. When we went outside, Katie got to feed the some of the smaller sharks. They didn't seem too hungry. It was a little dissapointing.

We decided to take in a show... A'lure - The Call of the Ocean. The acrobats were AMAZING! It was a great show!

They have some Clydesdale Horses on site. Those horses are stunning! They are so large and powerful. Ray and Katie got their picture taken with one (named Kelly). They also got to pet it.

Next stop was Katie's favorite: The Wild Arctic. There was a brief exhibit of the Polar Express. Then it was off the the Beluga Whales, Polar Bears, & Walruses. They have to keep it cold for the animals. There was actual ice on the walls! Katie did a report on Beluga Whales earlier in the year at school, so she was THRILLED to see actual Belugas. We spent a lot of time there! It was hard to take pictures there because of the lighting.

We were able to make it to the Shamu Christmas Miracles Show. It's amazing what those whales can do! We made sure NOT to sit in the SPLASH ZONE for this show!!!

We did A LOT this day! Katie just passed out after her shower.

Our Vacation to Florida - Day 4

2008-12-17T22:48:00.004-05:00

Day 4 - this was the last day at The Hard Rock. We got a few pics in front of the guitar fountain. We just got everything packed and headed over to the Marriott.

We got to the Marriott and decided to take the day to chill out. The boys stayed in the room and took naps. Katie and I went down to the pool. Katie met a girl from California and played with her for the afternoon. I got to read my book and just relax.

For dinner we took the I-Trolley down to Tony Roma's Restaurant. (The I-Trolley runs up and down Universal Blvd. and International Dr. It is a neat mode of transportation.)

Our Vacation to Florida - Day 3

2008-12-17T07:51:00.006-05:00

Day 3 - We returned to the Islands of Adventure. Katie wanted to see what she looked like as a "Jamaican-Mon". Too funny!!!

Our first ride was Spiderman. We have no pictures from this ride because it was INSANE!!! I got so sick! It whipped and turned me around like a rag doll! It took me a while to recover. The kids went on Dr. Doom's Fear Fall next. It was VERY HIGH! Then they went right on the Hulk. Luckily neither of them take after me! I am so glad they can ride tough rides without getting sick.

Ray and Katie went on Popeye & Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges. They got SOAKED!!!!!

We then went into Jurassic Park. I was a little disappointed. It was ok, but nothing special.

Ray, Sean, and Katie went on the River Adventure. They didn't get too wet. There was a T-Rex right above them and to "avoid the dinosaur" they dropped into the water. There was also a spitting dinosaur in the ride.

We went into Poseidon's Fury. It was an awesome show! Lots of water and fire.

Sean wanted to head back to the hotel so we went back to the Hulk one more time for them to ride it before he left the park.

After Sean left, we went back to Seuss Land. I just loved it there so much!

Our Vacation to Florida - Day 2

2008-12-15T21:48:00.012-05:00

We went to Universal and Islands of Adventure on day 2. We were having lunch and a bird was in the restaurant. All of a sudden we heard a "WHACK"! A bird ran into the window! It was hysterical!!!

Ray, Sean, and Katie went on the ET Ride, the Simpson's Ride, and the MIB ride. Then all 4 of us went on the Jaws ride.

Katie got her face painted. She was so cute!

We then went into the Disaster and the BeetleJuice Shows.

Sean and Katie got to climb a "New York City Wall". They were getting ready for the Macy's Holiday Parade while we were walking to the Return of the Mummy Ride. Some street performers grabbed Katie and Sean. It's amazing what a pretty girl can get Sean to do!!!

Katie, Sean, & Ray then went into Revenge of the Mummy and Twister.

We decided we did not want to wait another 45 minutes to watch the Macy's Holiday Parade, so we went to Islands of Adventure.

Sean is always connected with friends... even in Florida.

Our first stop was SuessLand. I must admit, this is my favorite part of the parks. Dr. Suess just makes me smile. Everything is so magical! Ray and Katie went on One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. They got soaked!

Right next to the ride was the Grinch Who Stole Christmas. It was TERRIFIC! They had a slight audio malfunction at the beginning, but the narrarator thought quickly and played it up. They even had a real dog playing Max!

The carousel is called the Carol-Seuss-el! It's adorable!

One of Sean's favorite stories from Dr. Seuss is "The Lorax".

We had dinner at Circus McGurkus Restaurant. The tran went around the top of the restaurant and out into the park. We jumped on that after dinner. It was an amazing view, especially in the dark.

Sean headed off for the hotel and Ray, Katie and I walked around City Walk. There are some great restaurants there. This is the World's Largest Hard Rock Cafe!

We took the water ferry back to the hotel. We stopped in front of the hotel to check out the guitar fountain at night.

It was a very long, but AWESOME day!

Our Vacation to Florida - Day 1

2008-12-15T08:40:00.009-05:00

Imagine my surprise when Ray called me on his way to work in April telling me he won a trip for 4 to Florida. I thought he was just entered into a drawing for the contest, but it turns out he did win a trip! It was a 4day/3night trip to Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure, 3 night stay at the Hard Rock Hotel, and roundtrip airfare on Southwest Airlines. THANKS WMGK 102.9!!!!

We decided to take the trip in December when Sean was finished his first semester at Shippensburg and it wasn't extremely hot in Florida. We figured since we were already going to be down here we should extend the trip and go to SeaWorld and Aquatica (their new water park).

We got a 7am flight on Saturday morning out of Philly. Having to be there at 5am was no picnic, but getting to watch the sunrise as we were taking off....PRICELESS!

Our pilot's name was JR. He was very nice. On our way out he let Katie sit in the cockpit for a picture.

We got to the Orlando airport in good time and the flight was smooth. We hopped a ride on a shuttle van (Mears Transportation - also part of the prize). John, our driver, was awesome! He was very knowledgeable and shared a lot of info. He even took us past the upside-down house. (It's called the WonderWorks and it has interactive exhibits) We got to the Hard Rock and it was very impressive! The palm trees were gorgeous! Since we were early, we kept our bags there and walked over to Universal (yes, it's that close!)

We went over to Universal to "check things out" and ended up going on a few rides. (Shrek 4-D and Jimmy Neutron). The best part was having the Express Passes because we were staying at the Hard Rock. You get to bypass the LONG lines and go right to the beginning of the line. It is AWESOME!!!

We then went back to the hotel to chill out. It had been a very early day for all of us. Ray and Sean took a nap and Katie and I went to the pool. Katie went down the 260 foot water slide! She LOVED it!!!

We ended up just chillin' out by the pool, relaxing in the hot tub, and the kids played guitar hero and ping pong. It was a great beginning to the vacation!!!

PHILLIES WORLD SERIES PARADE

2008-11-04T21:33:00.005-05:00

well... it was AWESOME!!!! We started out trying to take the train... but so did 100,000 other people. That didn't work, so we headed down by car. Luckily for us, everyone else was trying to take the train. We got right into the city. We parked 2 blocks from city hall at one of our "normal" parking garages. For being close to 2 MILLION people, it sure didn't seem like it. The feeling was so joyous! We got on the subway (we only had to wait for 1 train). We were packed in, but it wasn't bad. Our original plan was to stop along the route and walk down until we found a decent spot. Well, the subway conductor had other plans. The train didn't stop at any more stops and we went all the way to Pattison Ave. (at Citizen's Bank Park) We got off the subway and made our way down Broad Street. We stopped at Hartranft St. (the back way into the stadium) We were 4 people from the front. It was a great spot! Katie ended up getting to the front and had the PERFECT view! I was a little nervous, but I could see her the whole time. We of course had fun cheering on the cops to TAZER or SHOOT the deviants! For the number of people and amount of drinking, things were very calm. It was a sea of red. Everyone was united. It was an experience of a life time! We waited about 3 hours to see the floats. The most memorable part was Jayson Werth's float. He was jumping up and down the entire time! He was so genuinely thrilled. I was so proud to be a Phillies' fan! We then walked back to the subway. Since Ray is a genius and bought enough tokens for the ride home when he got the first set of tokens, we didn't have to wait in line (like thousands of others). We got the first subway train back to Market St. It was awesome!! We walked around for a few minutes and then stopped for a bite to eat before heading back on the road. We made it home by 6pm for Katie to go trick or treating. Sean was home by then too. It was an incredible day!!
I always tell the kids that once you pick a team, support them win or lose. We have had so many tough seasons, we all definitely deserved this! And yes, we are part of the team. We might be tough fans, but we truly appreciate hard work. We will let you know when you aren't performing up to our standards, but we also know the game and will cheer effort. This season brought back so many memories for me. I remember sitting with my Nana and cheering for the Phillies. There isn't a time I can remember that we weren't cheering them on. Ray remembers going to the parade in 1980. Hopefully this will be the first of many in the next few years!
GO PHILLIES! (hopefully we will be down here in June for the Flyers' parade!!!)

Here is Katie in the front row!

Here are just a few of our new friends!

Jayson Werth! (We call him Shaggy - Katie got to meet him this year at Vanity Fair)

Here's a pic of me, Ray, and Katie at City Hall.

A sea of RED!!!

2008-10-30T15:28:00.003-04:00

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES are WORLD CHAMPIONS!!!!

It's been 28 years since our last championship. It was definitely long enough! After the game last night we drove down to Philly. Katie thought it was really neat that everyone was yelling and beeping their horns! We are heading down to the parade tomorrow! I can't wait!!!

more to follow next week!

2008-09-15T22:12:00.005-04:00

wow... bad blogger...

where has the time gone?

Since we dropped Sean off at college, we have been very busy.

Katie started 4th grade. She LOVES her teacher. Daddy was a WATCH DOG again this year. She is going to start playing the trumpet... I am getting my earplugs ready. (she wanted to play the drums, but I said no to that!)

Katie celebrated her 9th birthday. We went to the Philadelphia Phillies game. They listed her birthday on the big board, sang Happy Birthday, gave her a Phillies cap, and threw confetti on her! They showed her dancing on the big board. She got Jamie Moyer's autograph on her new baseball cap. Ryan Howard and Jason Werth both hit homeruns. Unfortunately they lost. That was disappointing, but we still had fun.

Mom and Dad celebrated their 39th wedding anniversary on the 8/30/08 - HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!

We had Katie's family birthday party on 8/31. The kids had a blast in the pool.

I have been VERY busy with the U8 soccer registration. That will be over soon, thank goodness!

Katie has started soccer. This year she is only playing on 1 team. She missed the first game because we went to the shore to visit with Uncle Mark and Aunt Sherri. Their house is beautiful! We had so much fun!!! It was extremely relaxing for me. Ray and Katie spent almost the entire weekend in the water. Katie was riding the waves on the boogie board and she learned to ride the ocean kayak. She hit her head a few times, but she kept getting up and trying again! Katie and I got up early on Sunday and watched the sunrise on the beach. It was gorgeous!

Sean is playing ice hockey for Shippensburg. His first game is on Friday, 8/19 at the old Hershey Arena. Can't wait to watch him play.

Well, that's it for now. I am going to Scrap Pink on Saturday. It's a fundraiser for Breast Cancer Awareness that benefits the Susan G Komen Foundation.

Sunday is Katie's first soccer game. Then Michelle, Randall, and the kids are coming over to watch the Eagles whip the Steelers!!! (GO EAGLES!!!)

2008-08-22T12:27:00.004-04:00

Well, we dropped Sean off at college yesterday. It was a very emotional day! It started out with a traffic jam - we luckily saw it before we were getting on the turnpike, so we took some back roads. It took us 3 hours instead of 2 hours to get there. But we didn't sit on the turnpike. We got to drive thru Gettysburg, which was neat seeing some of the Battlefields.

We got to Shippensburg and got a spot right in front of the dorm. His room is on the 5th floor! We got up to his room and met his roommate and his family. They were very nice. Ray and Sean started bringing the rest of his stuff up while Katie and I organized and setup his room. We had less time to unpack and organize than we hoped but we dot most of it done. We got his books - they were only $364.90. I thought they were going to be much more!! We said goodbye and headed for home.

We got on the main road to go home and stopped after ~2 miles. We than sat for 3 hours on the highway. We went a total of 27 miles. UUGGHH! It's amazing Ray and I didn't kill each other. With emotions being so high anyway, we were trying to keep our additudes to a minimum. Katie was fabulous considering we sat for 3 hours!! We finally detoured (that took about 1/2 hour to go about 2 miles) and stopped for dinner to try to give the accident more time to clear up. The service was absolutely horrible!!! We were finally able to get back on the road around 8:45pm. We got home at 10:45pm. What a LONG and draining day!!!

I think because of all the drama with the traffic, it hasn't sunk in yet that he is gone. I know he is only at college, but for 18 years, he has been here with me.

His last week home was one of the best weeks we have had in years. We went to Gring's Mill, ate dinner together as a family, and watched movies & sporting events together. We all got along so well! I really cherished this week! We took him to dinner at Shady Maple on Wednesday night for his "Last Supper"! :) There were 17 of us in total that went. I will post pictures of Gring's Mill and Shady Maple later this weekend.

USA!!!

2008-08-16T00:26:00.005-04:00

Well... I haven't been blogging much because we have been watching the Olympics every spare moment. Such a sense of pride overcomes me when I route for our athletes. I get teary eyed everytime our National Anthem plays. It doesn't matter what time of day or night, we are yelling for our athletes. It was such an awesome swim when our Men's 4x100m Freestyle Relay team beat the French who said they were going to smash us!

I spent a fabulous weekend at Taryn's Retreat House last weekend. I didn't get much done, but I really had a blast!

We went to Nicole's 7th birthday party. I can't believe how old she is getting. Katie really had fun!

We have been getting Sean ready for Shippensburg. I can't believe my baby is leaving for college in less than a week. We are going to have his "last supper" at Shady Maple because it's Sean's favorite restaurant.

Katie is getting ready for 4th grade. We just got her teacher assignment yesterday. Katie knows of her and is pleased having Mrs. Paulson.

Fun Times

2008-07-28T11:22:00.018-04:00

Well, we have been busy running around the last few weeks.

Ray was in Omaha Nebraska for work the week of July 14th. His plan was delayed and then cancelled. He sat on the runway for 3 hours! He had to fly out Monday morning instead.

We spent some time with Kelly and Olivia on the 19th at Mom and Dad's house. We went swimming. Olivia spent most of the time climbing in and out of the pool using the steps and railing. She is a BIG GIRL now! She is just getting too big, too fast!! Katie is learning how to dive. She is getting better each time! She was snorkeling too. My little adventurer!

We then went to Tyler's 2nd birthday party. The kids had a blast in the sprinkler and throwing water balloons. Tyler and I were playing in the sandbox. He's at such a fun age!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Tyler!!!

Katie went to the shore with Uncle Mark and Aunt Sherri from the 23rd - 25th. She had so much fun!!! She went in the water, collected sea shells, and went on the boardwalk! Life doesn't get any better than that!
Cute story alert... Katie and Aunt Sherri were collecting shells along the coast. Aunt Sherri noticed that Katie was picking up all the broken ones. Aunt Sherri asked her why she wasn't putting them back and keeping the whole shells. Katie said it's because the broken ones are UNIQUE!
Her shell collection is quite unique!!

I got the chance to crop at Scraptacular on Friday night and Saturday day. I cropped with a friend, Barb, who I haven't cropped with in a while and I met a bunch of new ladies who were a blast! Can't wait to crop with them again!

I went to Taryn's open house on the 27th to help her with the Make-N-Takes. There was a nice turn out! It's a great Retreat House!! A group of us are going Aug 8th-10th. I can't wait!!! I am attaching a link to her blog. http://thehamburghideaway.blogspot.com/

We then went to Mom and Dad's to go swimming. The rain was NOT going to ruin the day for me! I knew it would clear up eventually! ~ and Ray doubted me!! While we waited, we watched the Phillies win over the Braves ~WOO HOO! AND the Philadelphia SOUL won the championship!!! It was a scary at the end, but they won! We invited Michelle, Randall, Monica, Mikey, and Jonathan over for swimming and dinner. The kids couldn't wait to get in the pool. We even stayed late enough to turn on the pool light. Brings back lots of memories about awesome summers in the pool!

Sean is finalizing everything for college. He leaves Aug 21st! I can't believe it's only 3 weeks away! Ray is on vacation this week. He will be updating his resume and looking for jobs. He only has 4 weeks until his last day of work. Katie is staying home this week with Daddy. As much as she loves camp, I think she also enjoys just "chillin" at home! She has been attending soccer practice on Tuesdays. She can't wait for the season to begin! I am working this week, but only Mon-Thurs. I am going to be working in a vendor booth at the Creating Keepsakes Convention in Valley Forge on Friday and Saturday. Should be an experience.

I have been busy creating pages for Scraptacular for the August kit. The challenge for the "So Tell Me Your Story" Blog was to create a page about my name. Here's the page.

Well, there you have it. Sorry for the long post, but life happens!

The Day I was Born...

2008-07-14T19:58:00.006-04:00

I started working on a challenge blog created by Lucy Chesna called... So Tell Me Your Story http://sotellmeyourstory.blogspot.com/

We scrap so much about our family and friends we sometimes forget to tell our story. I know I wish I knew more about my ancestors. So, here's my first submission...

The Day I was born:

Philly - 7/4/08 & 7/5/08

2008-07-06T18:44:00.004-04:00

The 4th of July Parade... See pics on the side. Great parade... as usual!

We also walked around city hall and looked at the building architecture and the statues. Katie loves learning about the city from our personal tour guide (Daddy)!! We watched the fireworks from LOVE park. It was raining, but they were still beautiful.

On July 5th, we went back down for the fireworks at Penn Landing. They were absolutely gorgeous. While we were waiting for them, we got to listen to Boys II Men in concert. It was fabulous. (pictures on the side)

Hershey Park 7/1/08

2008-07-06T17:03:00.011-04:00

Katie, Tyler, and Nicole at the entrance of Hershey Park.

Sean and Chris heading off to ride some more coasters.

Katie riding the pirate ship again to get over her fear. We are so proud of you!

Katie and Nicole were part of the show!! Katie, Nicole, Michele, & Tyler posing with the Milk Men.

Katie and Mommy on the log flume.

Katie and Nicole on the Whip.

Katie, Daddy, Michele, & Nicole on the Canyon River Rapids.

Katie, Daddy, Michele, & Nicole on Tidal Force.

Sean & Katie coming off the Lightning Racers.

Catching up...

2008-06-27T17:42:00.023-04:00

Well... I have been a bad blogger... I finally have a few minutes to catch everything up, so here goes...

since I last posted:

We spent a lovely day at Kel's on 6/8/08. Katie and Olivia were keeping cool in the backyard with the water toys.

6/10/08 - Katie's last day 3rd grade- she will certainly miss Mr. Miller. She was overloaded with projects she completed throughout the year.

6/15/08 - Father's Day at Dad's. Kids had a blast in the pool! Katie made Dump Cake all by herself for dessert that night. It was delicious!!!!

June : My tiger lillies finally started to bloom. I LOVE the vibrant color!

6/19/08 - Sean passed his driver's test!!! Because it takes so long to schedule an appointment at the Lancaster Ave. office, he scheduled his test in Lebanon. He thought it was on 6/18/08 @1pm, so Ray took the day off and they drove up there... turns out the appointment was for 6/19/08 @ 9:45am. So, I took the day off to take him up there. I actually got to snap a few photos of him taking the test... sssshhh.. don't tell anyone! His instructor was very sweet. She even gave Sean a tic tac! Here's a picture of Sean taking his first SOLO ride! Needless to say... I have MANY more grey hair now! I am still a nervous wreck everytime he goes out.

6/20/08 - A dear friend and co-worker is moving back home to Norway. This was her going away party. We held it at Happy Landings in Exeter Township. It was a picnic for the staff and their families. Here's a picture of Michelle, me, & Gidget. It was getting late, but I wanted to get a picture of Gidget, Corey, and Olivia. Olivia was getting very tired and didn't want to smile... so, they made SILLY faces!!!

6/21/08 - Katie is a HUGE Phillies fan! Jayson Werth was signing autographs at Vanity Fair, so Daddy took Katie over to meet him. (She got to meet Shane Victorino - the flyin' Hawaiian last year!) She also got to see the Reading Phillies mascot - Screwball and the Philly Phanatic. She also got her face painted. She had a blast!!!

6/21/08 - Sean's graduation party at Nana's and Boompa's. Before everyone got there, Sean and Katie were out by the pool. Katie laid in the same position as her big brother. It was so sweet!! Everyone had a blast swimming and chit chatting. I made Chicken Teryaki (Sean's favorite), potato salad, fruit salad, and ceasar salad (Sean's favorite). We went through 20 lbs of chicken, 2 huge bowls of fruit salad, almost 7 lbs of potato salad, and 3 huge heads of lettuce for the ceasar salad. I must admit... it was tasty!!!

Katie has been attending Bydenwood Day Camp everyday. She LOVES it! She goes hiking and

swimming everyday.

I have been busy scrappin' everyday. I made 2 albums for Gidget's going away party and I submitted some pages and a mini-album for my Design Team Membership at Scraptacular. I also donated a mini album to Save the Memory Crop.

We are on vacation next week. Heading off to Hershey Park on Tuesday with Mike, Michele, Nicole, and Tyler. We are going to Philly on Thursday & Friday for 4th of July.

well... sorry for the long post, but now I think we are caught up!

Crop for a Cure

2008-06-17T09:20:00.003-04:00

For anyone interested in a fun scrappin' weekend for a great cause... this is it!!!

CROP FOR A CURE
Starting Friday, Oct 3rd @ 3pm until Sunday, Oct 5th @ 3pm
Weekend or Day Packages Available
Check out the website @ www.cropforacurepa.zoomshare.com for details.
Registration is open! Space is limited! Reserve your spot as quickly as possible.

We are also pleased to announce we are getting more space this year, so LET'S FILL IT! Spread the word. Post to your message boards, send this to your friends. remember you can do one day or the whole weekend, or any combination of days.
We will of course hold ourselves to our previous standards of awesome prizes, door prizes, vendors and food. As well as smiles to go around!

Thanks so much!!!
The Crop for a Cure Team

It's Official!!! Sean is a Graduate of Wyomissing High School

2008-06-06T22:33:00.017-04:00

Sean walking in.

Sean's final performance with the Chorus. They sang: "In Whatever Time We Have" from Children of Eden; "Seasons of Love" from Rent; and "Stand by Me" by Ben E King. Sean was right in front of the microphone so we heard him loud and clear. He did an incredible job!

Sean receiving his diploma!

Time honored tradition of throwing the caps!!!

Sean with Nana and Boompa.

Sean and Grandma.

Congratulations!! We Love YOU!

I can't believe my baby is now a high school graduate!!!

Who's graduation is it????

Uncle Patrick, Aunt Kelly, and Olivia sharing in the special day!

Aunt Kelly passing on the "College Party Hat"!

Uncle Mark sharing in this special day.

Katie is proud of her big brother!

Sean's attire: polo shirt, shorts, and sneakers... at least it was a little better than Willy - he wore a speedo!!

He did it!!! YEAH!!!! We are so proud of him! It was a very nice ceremony. The weather was beautiful. And... I only cried a little!!

Day before Graduation

2008-06-05T21:29:00.002-04:00

This is Sean's last day as a "high schooler". I can't believe how the time has flown by. I honestly can remember being pregnant with him like it was yesterday. I have really been thinking a lot lately about truly cherishing the time we have with the kids and making the most of everyday. Tomorrow is his graduation and I know I am going to be a mess! I have been so emotional all week! Wish me luck!!!

our trip to the Adventure Aquarium

2008-06-01T10:07:00.018-04:00

The sharks were swimming above us

Katie getting up and close with the hippo

Katie touching the moon jellyfish

Katie touching the rays

Katie touching a boa constrictor

I believe these are moon jellyfish

Katie feeding "sleeping crickets" to the bird

Katie, Nicole, and Tyler

Katie and Nicole

Katie touching sharks

We went to the Adventure Aquarium in Camden, New Jersey yesterday with Mike, Michele, Nicole, & Tyler. We had originally planned on going to the Philadelphia Zoo, but the weather did not agree! We still had a blast. Katie got to touch sharks, jellyfish, starfish, sea cucumbers, a snake, and manta rays. She also got to feed "sleeping" crickets to a bird. It wasn't too crowded so we got really close to the glass of all the exhibits.

Pretty In Pink Polka Dots

2008-05-29T16:05:00.005-04:00

I think this is one of my favorites!!!

I used Pink Paislee - Lunch Hour, radiant rain, heidi swapp mask, queen & co felt, bazzill, threading water punch, primas, noteworthy journaling block, cat's eyes, bookworm's mini alphas, sharpie

I have been creating a lot of pages lately for It's Scraptacular. They will be posted at http://www.itsscraptacular.com/ for the month of June.

We are having a blast watching the Phillies together at night. GO PHILLIES!!!

Monday was fun. We chilled out, had a water balloon fight, and watched the Phillies.

Katie had a busy week at school. It was her class picnic on Tuesday and a field trip on Wednesday.

Katie and some neighbor kids took a wet walk on Tuesday. They were just too cute! Katie was

"Singing in the Rain".

Sean was sitting on the porch practicing his guitar.

I got some good pictures of the flowers in the garden before the rain
and during the rain.

Sean's Prom

2008-05-26T17:54:00.005-04:00

Here are 2 pics from Sean's prom. His date is Sarah W. They went with his "bestest" friend Chris and his girlfriend Katlyn.

I've Been Tagged!

2008-05-22T10:36:00.005-04:00

I've been tagged by Beth!

So here's my list of 4's:

4 Jobs I have had in my life: 1. Head Teller (I miss Meridian Bank!!!) 2. Cashier (Redners) 3. Teacher's Aid (Reading High School) 4. Project Manager (First HSA - current)

4 Movies I’ve Watched More Than Once:1. 50 First Dates 2. Pretty in Pink 3. The Sound of Music 4. An Affair to Remember

4 Places I’ve Lived:1. San Diego CA(until I was 2) 2. Douglassville PA (age 2-23) 3. Millersville PA (college) 4. West Reading PA (age 23-current)

4 TV Show I Watch/Watched 1. CSI NY 2. Two and a Half Men 3. The Riches 4. Dexter (gotta love the serial killers!)

4 Places I have Been: 1. Hawaii 2. Puerto Rico 3. Bahamas 4. New York City

4 People who email me regularly :1. Kim 2. Jen 3. Beth 4. Michele

4 of my favorite foods:1. anything salty!!! 2. filet mignon 3. pecan pie (that my dad makes) 4. almonds

4 Places I Would Like to Visit:1. Ireland 2. Australia 3. Japan (my hubby lived there for 2 1/2 years while in the service. I would love to take him back there.) 4. Hawaii (with my hubby this time)

4 Things I am Looking Forward to in the Coming Year:1. Sean leaving for college (it's not like it sounds! I am so proud of him and I can't wait to see him start a new phase of his life) 2. Going to Universal Studios in December (my hubby won tickets for the park, airfair, and hotel from WMGK!!) 3. spending time with family 4. Scrapping with friends & my Design Team time at It's Scraptacular

4 Friends who I’m Tagging: 1. Kim 2. Jen 3. Taryn 4. Barb

2008-05-21T21:47:00.002-04:00

These are two of my favs. I just love b&w photos. Thanks for looking!

Recent pages

2008-05-21T21:28:00.009-04:00

Here is one of my favorite current pics of Sean.

Here's a pic of my darling niece Olivia. She is 15 mths old.

Katie found an ingenious way to make more bubbles!

2008-05-20T07:36:00.003-04:00

katie before her concert

sean at one of katie's soccer games

Start of Something New

2008-05-19T19:00:00.004-04:00

Well, I finally caved in and started a blog. With so much going on, I hope this will help keep everyone up to date with all of us.

Life is a bit crazy around here right now. Sean is graduating in 13 school days. It is bitter sweet. I still can't believe I have a kid who is 18 and graduating!!! When did I get so old???

Sean's prom is this Sunday. I can't wait to see him all dressed up! He finally shaved his "playoff" beard since the Flyers lost yesterday. I am sure his date will be happy!

It was a tough day yesterday because the Flyers lost and their season has ended. It was one heck of a season though. Look out for us next year!!!!

Katie has no sports going on right now... believe it or not!!! She has been having fun playing with the neighborhood kids everyday. She only has 15 more school days until she becomes a 4th grader! She will be going to camp again this summer. She can't wait! She loves hiking up to the top of the mountain everyday. She is my little athlete!! She is in the running club at school. She runs 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 miles every Tuesday and Thursday. She has run almost 45 miles so far this school year. She LOVES to run. Hopefully she will keep that passion.

Sean and Katie both had their spring concerts last week. It was Sean's last concert and Katie's first concert. Again, very bitter sweet for me. Sean had a solo during the song " River in Judea". We were so proud. He did such a great job! Katie did a super job singing and playing the recorder.

The kids also had their art show last week. They both had pieces displayed.

We also took a walk around the school. I got a cool picture of Sean walking by himself down the hallway. I also got a picture of him at his locker.

I was just named to the It's Scraptacular Design Team. I am so excited!!! This is my first design team. The store is located in Douglassville. http://www.itsscraptacular.com/ You will start seeing my layouts in June. I have been busy creating pages.

Ray is very busy with work. His work through date is August 29th. Then hopefully on to bigger and better things.

Well, thanks for reading about us.