The Family Cruise

School is Cool

2009-09-26T09:19:00.001-07:00

School has begun!!! Here are some pics from the girl's 1st day....and Mom's!

The Fair!!!

2009-09-07T14:51:00.000-07:00

We visited the fair a few weeks ago, it was very fun!!! Kristen, Andrew, Natalie, Kendall, and Mom all went.

Kendall is a little daredevil and was crushed to find out she was too little to ride some of the scary rides.

We waited patiently for the big kids to ride big kid rides.

YES!!!! Big enough for this one!

We found some rides that everyone could ride, and the rest of the night was awesome!

Natalie on the giant slide

Kendall on the giant slide

Good day at the fair!

Farmland Animal Park

2009-09-07T14:24:00.000-07:00

On our way back from the strawberry farm, we stopped at Farmland Animal Park (one of our favorite places)!

The kids saw and fed horses, turkeys, goats, sheep, steer, bulls, cows, emus (scary) and chickens.

I love this pic:)

We also had a chance to meet some baby animals. The chicks were only a few days old.

This bunny is pooping on me in this pic (that was the end of petting the baby animals)!

Before we left, we all took turns riding the pony. Natalie didn't want to ride, but she guided everyone as they rode.

Poor horse!!!

Riding the pony was the highlight of Nolan's summer!!!

Strawberry Picking @ Hydroponic Farm

2009-09-07T14:05:00.000-07:00

In the beginning of August, we ventured out to Chemung, NY for a day filled with fun. We started the day off at a hydroponic strawberry farm. They were currently having a raccoon infestation, so they were closed. They let us in because Mommy was friends with the owner...we had the whole place to ourselves!!! The way the farm is set up is awesome, there is no dirt (even on the ground), each stand turns and there's is almost no bending over!

Mom's good friend Shannon came with us.

The kids picked lots and lots of berries...the #1 rule was to cut the plants with scissors (so they wouldn't pull the whole plant out).

We managed to collect 2 full buckets of strawberries!!! Yummy!!!

The fruits of our labor!

Yum!

Double Yum!!!

Visits with Baby Owen

2009-09-07T13:48:00.000-07:00

This summer we had the pleasure of visiting baby Owen several times. Here are some highlights from our visits. There are no pictures from his baptism (because Mom forgot her camera...ahhh!), it was beautiful though!

The boys and I

Natalie and Owen

Teresa reading to Kendall

Aunt Dani and Owen

Owen and I

The girlies hangin out with Owen :)

Can't wait until we're goin' to see Owen again!!!

The Cruise Family Reunion

2009-09-07T13:39:00.001-07:00

The Cruise family has a reunion every year, this year it was at Newtown Battlefield (also where we camped on Mommy's birthday).

We visited with many people.

Some from near and some from far!

The kids played and the adults visted.
It was a nice afternoon :)

A Playdate With Old Friends

2009-09-07T13:28:00.001-07:00

About a month ago, the kids and I met up with some of my old friends from school. They have had some children since we have last visited.

My friends Jenn (children: Grace and Alex), Molly (daughter: Sadie), and Elizabeth (daughters: Alexia and Cortlin) played at the park and ate some pizza together! It was so fun!!!

The kids met new friends!

Visited with old friends

And ate some yummy pizza (delivered right to the park!)

It was a FUN day!

Soon

2009-09-02T20:44:00.000-07:00

So, I have been totally slacking on my blog...so sorry! We have been very busy (as you will see)...just wanted to promise an update in the next week. Thanks for your patience!
Love,
Sara

Aunt Danielle's Birthday Celebration

2009-07-13T15:09:00.000-07:00

After our softball picnic, we headed over to Gammy and Gampy's house to celebrate Aunt Dani's birthday (which was Friday). Chris, Dani, and the kids filled water balloons while Gampy cooked the chicken.

The task got a little wet for Kendall, Mom, and Dani, so we decided to pick blueberries instead.

We had BBQ chicken and corn on the cob amongst other goodies for dinner.

After dinner, we dressed the kids in their bathing suits for a water balloon fight...it was SOOO fun!!!

After the balloons were gone, the kids took over the hose. Everyone (including Gammy and Gampy) was soaked by the time Nolan was done with the hose.

We ate some birthday cake and visited a while longer. Then, it was off to bed...what a busy, exciting day!

Happy Birthday Aunt Danielle!!!

Softball Picnic

2009-07-13T14:54:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the end of the season softball league picnic.

Natalie and Kendall played tee ball for the Big Flats Fire Department.

The kids, Grandma, and, I all went, and we had fun.

After we ate (hotdogs, hamburgers, fruit, and chips) there was an awards ceremony. It was both Natalie and Kendall's 1st year playing softball, they loved it!

Kendall receiving her trophy (and giving her coach a hug)

Natalie receiving her trophy

Good Job girls!!!

Sideways Video

2009-07-13T14:00:00.000-07:00

I consider myself fairly photo-savvy on the computer...somehow though, I cannot figure out how to rotate these videos for blogger. I have them rotated everywhere else. So, if it appeals to you to watch these sideways, I taped them specifically to share with you. I apologize for my incompetence.

Kendall doing the Pledge in sign language (sideways...)

Natalie and Kendall singing "Let's get Together"
(Double Trouble in hats nonetheless)

Thank You for bearing with the sideways videos...I still find them enjoyable, hope you did too!

Fireworks on July 5th

2009-07-13T13:25:00.000-07:00

Mom made it home from vacation just in time to catch some local fireworks with the kids. Shauna, Kristen, the girls, and Mom met with Grandma and our cousins to watch the big show!

Kendall ran into a friend from her pre-K and Kindergarten class. His name is Colby. They also found out that next year they will be in the same 1st grade class, how exciting!!! Colby wants "to be in Kendall's class every year and then marry her", Kendall insists that they are "just friends."

Natalie and I sat with the family and watched the fireworks. Natalie didn't like how loud they were.

The fireworks were beautiful, it was really fun!

Here is some build-up and the grand finale, awesome fireworks!!!

Our Annual Adults Only Vacation in the Thousand Islands

2009-07-13T11:55:00.000-07:00

Every July 4th weekend, a big group of friends (including Kevin and I) meet up in Alexandria Bay for a weekend of rest and relaxation...without kids!!! I certainly missed the little ones, but it was a nice, relaxing weekend.

This is our room that we get each year.

This is the view off our balcony...it overlooks Boldt Castle and the St. Lawrence (it's beautiful). (Each year they do fireworks over Boldt Castle, but this year the fireworks were on Sunday night because of a county law they couldn't do fireworks on Saturday...so, we missed them this year, oh well!)

Here is the group of 12 (this year) that met up in A. Bay. Kevin, Sara, Shannon, Kathy, Dale, Cindy, Chris, Paul, Stan, Allie, Gomer, and Tina.

We know most of them from previous vacations. Stan and Shannon are very good family friends of ours. We go together every year.

The weather was pretty darn cold (and rainy), but we made the best of it! We kept busy shopping and being goofy!

I made a friend at the jewelry store.

Pucker up rhino!

Shannon being "Cousin It"

Anchor woman

On the 4th, we rented a boat for the day. All 12 of us went. It was really fun, but really cold. We bundled up in blankets and hoodies and had a blast on the water!

Everyone get your life vests on!!!

Shannon and I

Trying to keep warm

Kevin and I at the entrance of Boldt Castle

After many hours out on the boat, we headed to our rooms for some 4th of July festivities (and pictures)!

Matching costumes and koozies: a must have for these ladies :)

Kevin even had some fun!!!

Ladies say cheese!!!

"Uncle Sara"

After a pretty early night on the 4th, we headed home. We wish we could have stayed longer, but I missed my babies! It was a wonderful trip and we plan to head back up to A. Bay next year (yippee!)

Mom preparing to see the little ones after vacation

Owen Richard Hall

2009-07-13T11:09:00.000-07:00

The day after our camping trip, Natalie, Kendall and I hit the road with Jenn and Sam to go meet our newest family member: Owen Richard Hall (see "The Hallway" link on the left of my page for their blogspot)!!!

Here he is, perfect as ever!!! I think he looks a lot like Dennis, except I think he has his Mommy's lips. It was kinda of hard to get a good look at his eyes because he slept for our whole visit!

Here are Owen's proud parents, doesn't Teresa look great, especially for being about 4 days postpartum!

The girls just LOVED him!!! Even though he was asleep, we passed him around and around.

Nothing like a little baby sleeping on you...I LOVE it (don't worry, no more for me)

Aunt Jenn holding baby Owen

Owen's proud "Uncle Sam"

We hung out for a bit and then headed home. It was so nice to meet little Owen and to see my sister looking so good.

We tried to take Owen home with us, but Teresa didn't like the idea. Doesn't he look perfect with us? He is very happy with his Mommy and Daddy, so we left him in Buffalo with promises of regular visits!

Welcome to the family, Owen!!!

Our First Camping Trip

2009-07-10T13:47:00.000-07:00

The day after school ended, we took our first family camping trip to Hickory Hills in Bath, NY (not too far, just in case children didn't cooperate). We went with our good friends Jenn, Sam, Grace and Alex. They have a really nice motor home that we all used, and then at night, some us of slept in a tent (really cool when you're a kid!).

When we first got there, I sent the kids out to look for 4 leaf clovers (figuring it would keep them busy for a while as we set up)...sure enough, about 10 minutes later, Miss Natalie had found one!!! I can never find them...it must have been good luck, because the weather was nice and we had an amazing time!

Kendall hangin' out on the hammock

Nolan on our picnic table, he was so good and so happy to be there. He was a "happy camper", if you will (we were very proud of him)!

We stayed 2 nights, and even though we were camping, we ate like royalty! We had NY strip steaks and potatoes the 1st night, and awesome BBQ chicken and fruit and potatoes the second night. Of course, we had hotdogs and hamburgers...many other goodies too!

When it started to get dark out, it was time to build a fire (our favorite part of camping we've decided). We made s'mores and sang songs. The kids were getting pretty tired!

Time for goodnight hugs and off to bed. Natalie, Nolan, Mom and Dad slept in the tent.

Kendall slept above the driving part of the motor home with the Nichols family...she loved it!!!

After the kids were down, the adults stayed up and "played" for a little while.

"Two-can Sam"

"Building a fire"

Looks like these girls are ready for bed, goodnight!

The next morning, we headed down to the hobby lobby for crafts. Kendall, Nolan, Natalie, and Grace all made pinwheels.

After crafts, we took a walk to visit the rabbits. The kids loved them.

Disclaimer: Natalie is not drinking coffee, she is holding mine so I could take a picture :)

Photo shoot time!!!!! Natalie and Kendall

Nolan

Grace

Sara (mom) and Jenn (mom)

Sam (dad)

Time for a walk!!! We took many walks, but this particular walk was to take a wagon ride. Natalie pushed Grace and Kendall pushed Alex (with some help).

The wagon ride was really fun. It took us around the campground. Scamper the camper (a squirrel mascot for the campgroud) even rode the wagon, we sat right next to him!

We got a pretty decent family pic...considering we were camping!

The Nichols family...all ready to go swimming after our ride

Time to swim!!!!!

More campfire time, this night with glow ring pops!!! How fun :)

The next day was the day we left. Daddy played monkey in the middle (notice the monkey has the ball).

We hung our for a while and then, it was time to go. We are going to try to go again before the summer is done, it was a perfect trip with GREAT friends.

Another exciting part of camping: our nephew (Jenn is Dennis's sister), Owen Richard was born!

What a great weekend!!!

Father's Day

2009-06-23T11:33:00.000-07:00

We had a very fun and busy day on Father's Day this year! We went over to Grandma Cruise's house and played with Daddy. Andrew came over too! We are very lucky to have such a good Daddy in our family.

After we played and ate some pizza, it was time for church. Daddy got to go home on watch the race since it was Father's Day. After church, we headed to the cemetery to visit Grandpa Cruise. June 21 is also his birthday. Grandma, Aunt Cassie, and Aunt Shelley had his grave all decorated with balloons and flowers. It looked awesome. Each of the children colored a rock to leave at grandpa's grave. They worked hard and made some really nice rocks.

As you can see, Nolan didn't limit his coloring to only the rock...he colored himself pretty well too!

We had a very nice visit.

When we returned home, it was pretty late. Natalie made Daddy a very nice card. My favorite part was where it said "thank you daddy for teaching me to make a peanut butter open in the palm of my hand"...and "remember when we rode the 4 wheeler together"...so stinkin' sweet!

Kendall learned and sang daddy a Father's Day song. She is singing it to him in this picture.

Nolan gave Daddy big snuggles. He is the best Daddy ever, we love you.
Happy Father's Day!!!

Hillbilly Teeth

2009-06-23T11:25:00.000-07:00

Check these goofball out!!!

They're somehow still adorable even with hillbilly teeth!!!

Nolan's Final Birthday Bash

2009-06-23T11:00:00.000-07:00

Now that June is coming to an end, we finally are finished celebrating Nolan's 3rd birthday (1 party is just never enough). We went over to Gammy's house for pizza and presents. Aunt Dani and Uncle Chris came, too.

Nolan got many nice gift from Gammy, Great-Grandma, and Gree. He got a big bubble maker, a puzzle, rocket balloons, a rocket launcher, and his favorite: a remote control ATV (4 wheeler). What a hit that present was, I have recharged the batteries 3 times already!

After he opened his gifts, it was time to check some of his new toys out!!! First toy: the ATV!

Everyone had a chance to play with the ATV. It was a really fun toy ( even for the adults).

Next, we tried out Nolan's new rocket launcher (compliments of Gree). What a great toy the rocket launcher was, too! Everyone had a nice time making the rocket blast off. It went really high. You can see it in the picture, it's the blue and red blur in the tree above Dani's head.

Gammy also bought each of the children washcloths. In order to turn them into washcloths, you have to soak them in water.

Ta-Dah! It was a really fun project, thanks Gam!

Time for brownies (still warm)!!!

Happy Birthday Nolan(and yes, now it's really over until next year)!!!

Random Pics

2009-06-17T13:36:00.000-07:00

I'm due for a random pics blog, and so...here it is. I figured I better empty my hard drive since Community Days, camping, and Mom and Dad's vacation are right around the corner!

Pudding Face

Wii Sing-it American Idol Edition: Look out Simon, I've got some stars up in here!

Gammy and Gampy at the softball game

Aunt Dani posing for a picture

Happy Faces!!!

Trying out the 4-wheeler...I think we should start him on something smaller perhaps.

Natalie playing with her cousins

Another Happy Face (I have to say this one is a little scary)

A paper bag puppet show called "Gramma Mustache and The Little Girl Who Lived Alone" performed by Natalie, Kendall, and Nolan...it was somewhat ridiculous, but fun none the less. I am mildly concerned about their choice of title, too.

Nolan seems to think he can climb this HUGE tree...he tried for about 30 minutes. I have to respect his determination.

A BBQ With Friends

2009-06-17T13:07:00.000-07:00

This Sunday, we enjoyed an awesome cookout with out friends Jenn, Sam, Grace, and Alex. The weather was perfect and the company was great!!!

Jenn and Sam

Grace

Jenn and Alex

The men cooked the food while the children waited (impatiently) to swim...look at Nolan trying to sneak in the pool.

We ate hotdogs, hamburgers, salad, fruit, chips, and juice...yummy, yummy!!! The men did a nice job on the grill.

Finally, it was time to swim...can you tell by this pic that the water was a little cold? That never seems to stop my kids, eventually, they adjusted and had a ton of fun!

The ladies sat by the pool and chatted...

The men sat by the other side of the pool and chatted (they also helped a lot with the kids).

The kids hung out in the backyard and played...it was really great!

When Alex woke up from his nap, it was time for dessert.

We had cookies and brownies...then it was time to go home. It was so fun that we decided that we would go camping together soon...can't wait!
Thanks Sam and Jenn!!!

A Recorder Concert

2009-06-17T12:48:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, the entire 3rd grade class at Big Flats Elementary School put on a recorder concert. It was really good!!! The school has a recorder Karate program. The children earn "karate belts" (a piece of embroidery floss tied to the end of their recorders). Each song they conquer (they are individually tested) they earn a different colored belt.

Natalie has a purple belt...here is how she earned it:
White Belt: Hot Cross Buns
Yellow Belt: Gently Sleep
Orange Belt: Merrily We Roll Along
Green Belt: It's Raining
Purple Belt (she passed her test the day of the concert): Old McDonald

The concert was great and I was so proud!!!

After the concert, I took the opportunity to get some photos of Natalie and her favorite teachers.
This is Miss Williams, she is Natalie's 3rd grade teacher. She's amazing, I hope Kendall and Nolan have her too!

This is Mrs Felli, she has helped Natalie with reading throughout several grades.

This is Mrs. Decker. She helped Natalie last year, she's awesome!!!

The Best Craft Show Ever!!!

2009-06-17T12:28:00.000-07:00

This week, Gammy had a craft show at His Tabernacle church. We heard that it was supposed to be a pretty happening event, and so we made an appearance. We were sure glad that we did.

Gammy craft stand looked great, she is the crochet queen!!!.

Kendall even modeled some of Gammy's inventory. This is a pink poncho...Kendall wishes it was her pink poncho.

These girls look ready for some fun!!!

Outside of the church, there was a little carnival...with rides!!!

Kendall LOVES all the rides, especially the fast and scary ones!

Mommy loves rides too, she always goes on with the kids (as long as they're not too scary).

We even rode the Ferris wheel and the other ride in this picture. Kendall and I rode together (she keeps me strong), and Natalie and Kristen rode together (Kristen keeps Natalie strong). If Natalie and I ever rode together, we would probably convince the man to stop the ride...it takes us a while to get used to it that's all!

Kendall was too little for the swings...

So her and I got treats for everyone instead!

What a blast it was, thanks for the invite Gam!!!

Nolan's Party at Gramma Cruise's

2009-06-17T12:11:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, we celebrated Nolan's birthday with Grandma Cruise

There are always a lot of helpers when it comes time to open gifts...

He got a ball and bat that were just his size.

He also got a new bike!!! He LOVED it!!! What a big boy.

The kids played outside the whole time, it was a beautiful day!

There's a lot of fun things to play outside at Grandma Judy's house

We even saw a toad, he was really cool

After a lot of fun and playing, we headed in for some dinner before church. Grandma got Nolan his favorite: McDonald's. At church, the whole congregation sang Nolan "Happy Birthday", it was a really special day for everyone!

Nolan's 3rd Birthday

2009-06-10T12:33:00.000-07:00

On Friday, Nolan turned 3 years old!!! We can hardly believe it, he is growing up so fast. When Nolan woke up, Mommy had the Living Room filled with his favorite thing...balloons!!!

Nolan wanted to tape the balloons to the wall, so I decided to teach him about the power of static electricity. We rubbed the balloons on our heads until we had every last one of them stuck on the wall. Nolan thought it was hilarious.

Look Mom, no tape!

Here we are with our balloon hair!

After our fun inside with balloons, we decided to take them outside. Nolan's best friend Maddy came over and played with him. They have a mostly love/sometimes hate relationship (hugging above, fighting below).

When the girls came home from school, they had each made Nolan a birthday gift. This one is from Natalie.

This one is from Kendall.

He was a happy boy!

For dinner, Mom made all of Nolan's favorite: steak, pasta, corn and rolls.

Cheers to 3 years!

We finished up with birthday cupcakes.

Nolan is a professional when it comes to blowing out birthday candles...he blows out everyone else's candles on their birthdays!

Kristen and Shauna came over for cupcakes, it was nice to see them.

Happy Birthday my big boy!!!

Our Garden

2009-06-10T12:07:00.000-07:00

We were late as usual, but we started our garden for the year. We chose Oriental Poppies, Zinnias, and Four O'Clocks (all high sun) for our flowers this year. Last year we grew Hollyhocks and 2 foot tall Marigolds (they were mosterous)...we are hoping for another successful garden this year!

Every year, we start our seeds in an egg carton. The girls did all of the work.

They kids were very careful with our soil and seeds.

Do you see green on their thumbs?

These are the seeds the kids planted for me on Mother's day. They are Mini Sunflowers and Pansies.

Mom and Dad planted a couple of seeds in our garden. Daddy planted a couple of flowers that Mom got from Grandma Cruise on Mother's Day. We saved plenty of room for our little seedlings to move into when they are ready!

Kendall got a little gardening practice at school, too! This is "Mr. G (Green Grass)...Kendall planted and grew him at Kindergarten. Isn't he adorable??? Natalie also grew Mom a bean plant for Mother's day. It is currently growing in Grandma Cruise's garden (she has all of the equiptment).

Stay tuned for more oh so exciting garden updates!!!

2009-06-10T11:47:00.000-07:00

May 31st was Grandma Cruise's birthday. She doesn't like having her picture taken, and because it was her birthday we didn't make her. We had a nice day over at her house. We had hamburgers and hotdogs on the grill and the played in the yard.

Nolan rode just about everything that Grandma had at her house.

a car...

a little bike...

and a bigger bike...he is ready for a bike of his own!

Natalie played on the slide...

and fell down the slide (she was okay)

We had a great day, Happy Birthday Grandma Cruise!!!!

Memorial Day

2009-06-10T11:20:00.000-07:00

This Memorial Day, we had a blast! It was a very busy day for us. Unfortunately, Daddy and Nolan were home sick. The girls still went out and had a really fun day!

We started our day out with a softball game. The Cruise family has enough people for two full teams. The game was really close the whole time, but our team ended up losing by 1 point (after 4 hours!). Mom and Natalie hit very well...and Mom was actually sore in the morning.

After the game, everyone was very hot. It was time for the kids to swim! Natalie and Kendall were so excited to swim.

After a long swim, the kids decided to dry off and dance on the picnic table...this went on for a lot of the evening.

All the softball, swimming, and dancing sure made us work up an appetite. We feasted on chicken and beef speedies, salt potatoes, salad, and fruit! It was really yummy!

After dinner, we had some live entertainment and games! It was a very exhausting and fun day!

Happy Memorial Day!

You Go Girl!!!

2009-05-23T11:56:00.000-07:00

School has concluded for Mom this semester. The verdict: a success!!! I thought the best way to demonstrate my grades would be to copy and paste my transcript.
So, here it is:

STUDENT INFORMATION
Name :		Sara B. Field

Advisor:		Donna Moore Powers



DEGREE AWARDED
Sought:	Associate in Science		Degree Date:
Curriculum Information
Degree Program
Major:			General Studies

Spring 2009
Academic Standing:				Good Standing
Additional Standing:				President's List
Subject	Course	Level	Title					Grade	Credit Hours	Quality Points	R
BIOL	1001	UG	Preparatory Biology					A	1.000	4.00
ENGL	1010	UG	College Composition I					A	3.000	12.00
HLTH	1100	UG	Responding to Emergencies					A	2.000	8.00
MATH	1015	UG	Introductory Algebra					A	4.000	16.00
SOCI	1010	UG	Introduction to Sociology					A	3.000	12.00
Term Totals (Undergraduate)
				Attempt Hours	Passed Hours	Earned Hours	GPA Hours	Quality Points	GPA
Current Term:				13.000	13.000	13.000	13.000	52.00	4.00

Along with my 4.0, I was also offered a payed position to tutor next semester in the Writing Center (I was "highly recommended").

One final thing: This is a copy of my acceptance letter into Nursing School in the fall! One semester down, 4 to go. Now on to the hard stuff...

Good Job Mom!

Natalie's First Communion

2009-05-23T10:58:00.000-07:00

On May 17th, Natalie made her First Communion. She has been taking class every Sunday to prepare for this special day. Mommy, Daddy, Kendall, Nolan, Gammy, Gampy, Aunt Dani, Grandma, Kristen, and Shauna all came for Natalie's big day. It was really nice.

Isn't she beautiful??? Her and 4 other children, including her cousin Alaina all made their Communion.

We had a small photo shoot before church (of course!)

All of the children had a chance to read at church. Natalie read very nicely! Father Jim also read a letter from each of the children. Natalie's said:
Dear Father Jim,
I want to make my First Communion so that I can be closer to God. I love this church because we accept everyone, and so does God. I also want to try the bread.
Love, Natalie

The children also had a chance to bring up the gift and help prepare for Communion.

Here is Natalie receiving her First Communion from Father Jim (he's an amazing man). What a young lady she is becoming.

Congratulations Everyone!

After church, we all gather for cookies, punch, and couple more beauty shots. It was an exciting day!

Play Ball!

2009-05-23T10:29:00.000-07:00

Softball season has officially begun! Natalie and Kendall are on the same team. They play both tee-ball and coach pitch softball. In this league, they do not keep score.

The girls LOVE softball!!!

Up first, was Miss Kendall. She does much better with a tee. She got on base twice and made it home (only after running from 3rd base straight to the dugout)!

Her face says it all: she is so happy to be playing. It's priceless!

Later in the lineup was Miss Natalie (a power player). She is one of the best on the team. She has a very natural ability to play softball.

Natalie hits like a pro, right off of a pitch!!! She got on base and came home all 3 times she was up.

Both girls played several positions on the field, including pitcher, 3rd base, shortstop, right and left field. They like hitting the best, but they're both great on the field too!

Good luck with the rest of the season Big Flats Fire Department!!!

Girls Day Out

2009-05-07T17:38:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, the girls and I hit the mall for a nice afternoon out together. We started the day off at the nail place where Natalie, Kendall, and I got manicures.

Natalie chose bright pinkish-reddish nail polish with "flowers" on them...they turned out beautiful.

Kendall chose purple nail polish (surprise) with a small design on them, they're very snazzy!

We continued our day out with lunch, church, and dinner with Grandma. It was a great day!

A Fun Day at Gam and Gamp's

2009-04-28T12:46:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, we had a very nice time at our Gammy and Gampy's house. Aunt Teresa and Uncle Dennis were there. We started off by letting Natalie open (more) birthday presents. Aunt Teresa and Uncle Dennis gave Natalie a gift card to the movie theater, she loved it. Patty was in town the previous weekend for the baby shower and had left Natalie a bunch of birthday presents too.

Patty gave Natalie 3 new Nintendo DS games, new clothes, and softball clothes. She also got a new dress for each of the girls and sidewalk chalk. She gave Nolan an outfit and a golf set.

We headed outside to play with some new toys.

Kendall and Nolan tried out the new golf set with Teresa and Mom.

Whoa Baby!!!

Gammy and Uncle Dennis helped Natalie try out her new softball tee. She is very impressive!!!

Kendall, Mom, and Nolan decided to play with some sidewalk chalk while Natalie was still playing ball. We played while Gampy was making my favorite lunch: chicken on the grill (since it was finally nice outside)!!!

After lunch, we had a birthday cake for Gampy. He didn't have a cake yet because we had a cake for Natalie on their birthday celebration. Gammy made Gampy's favorite: crazy cake. It's really yummy chocolate cake.

Here are Kendall and Nolan saying "cheers" with their ice cream

It was a very nice visit at Gammy and Gampy's house. It was so nice to see Aunt Teresa and Uncle Dennis. Next time we see them, they will have a new baby! Natalie said when they left this weekend, " Tater Tot, I'll see you on the outside."

Take Your Child to Work Day

2009-04-28T12:20:00.000-07:00

April 23rd was Take Your Child to Work Day. This is something I have done with my girls for several years. They LOVE coming to work with me. They look forward to this day all year, and it is really a special time for us.

Kendall and I waited tables. She was a great little helper!

Natalie helped Shauna at the host stand. Natalie was a very impressive hostess, she was even invited by my boss to work for them in 2018.

After a hard 4 hours of work we were done (an earlier night than usual). The girls were starving. We all sat down to a very nice dinner (it's one of the best parts of working in a restaurant).

Natalie and Kendall each made some very nice tips that night...hard earned of course! The girls decided that it was exhausting going to school all day and then work all night (like Mom does).

We had a great night and look forward to doing it again next year!

2009-04-28T11:47:00.000-07:00

I thought I should explain...

In the photos from Teresa's shower, Mom's face looks funny. I had an abscessed tooth and it made my face swell up (and hurt). I fought my infection for 8 days before they finally just pulled my tooth. It took 3 trips to the dentist, a trip to the hospital for IV antibiotics, and 2 kinds of oral antibiotics, but everything has now cleared up for the most part.

So, that is why I look funny in the picture from Teresa's baby shower.

Aren't I cute!!!

Teresa's Baby Shower

2009-04-28T11:07:00.000-07:00

On April 18th, Teresa came to Horseheads for a baby shower. With lots of help from Grandma Hall and Gammy, Jenn, Danielle and I arranged the celebration.

Many people came and others sent gifts, there were a ton of presents!

It was quite a crowd. After some visiting and appetizers, it was time to eat. We decided to have a soup and salad bar.

Teresa had a lot of gifts to open. She got a lot of very nice gifts. It is really exciting to think that the baby will be here using everything soon!

After the presents were opened, it was time for cake. Gammy made yummy cheesecake and Grandma Hall made a beautiful cake too (Tater Tot is what Dennis and Teresa call their baby).

Many special people came to Teresa's baby shower. It was really nice to get together with everyone and celebrate. Thanks to everyone who came and congratulations to Teresa and Dennis!!!

2009-04-27T16:34:00.000-07:00

After our visit at Gammy and Gampy's house, it was time for us to go to church.

Following church, we went to Grandma Cruise's house for dinner, as we do every Sunday. It is always nice to visit with Grandma Cruise.

We also got to spend dinner with our big sister Kristen! We always love to see her!

After dinner, it was pretty late. The kids had some chocolate milk and kissed Grandma goodbye. It was a pretty exhausting Easter!

Easter Lunch With Gammy and Gampy

2009-04-27T15:32:00.000-07:00

After our exciting morning at home, we headed over to Gammy's house for lunch. Aunt Dani, Uncle Chris, Gammy and Gampy were there, and they sure had some fun planned!

We started right out with an awesome Easter egg hunt. The kids LOVED it!!!

Nolan was VERY interested in what was inside every egg!

He took a break to sit on Gampy's lawnmower, it's one of his favorite places to hang out at Gammy and Gampy's house!

After the elaborate Easter egg hunt, we headed inside for a delicious turkey. Everyone gobbled down their food, it was soooo good!

Following lunch, it was time to celebrate Gampy and Natalie's birthdays. Their birthday was on the Tuesday before Easter, but since it is so hard to get everyone together at the same time, we decided to celebrate their birthday with Gammy and Gampy on Easter. Natalie got many nice gifts from Gammy and Gampy. Gree and Great Grandma each sent a gift too!

Natalie's favorite gift was her softball tee. She also got a batting glove and softballs too. She is all ready to play!!!

Gampy also opened his gifts. He got some clothes and tools.

Finally, it was time for some cookie cake (YUMMY!). We sang to Natalie and Gampy and they blew out the candles together. Then, everyone pigged out (it's what we did all day).

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NATALIE AND GAMPY!!

After cake, it was time to go (we had to be at church and then to Grandma Cruise's for dinner). We had a great visit and great food at Gammy and Gampy's house. We are glad we got to spend some of our Easter with them.

HAPPY EASTER!

Easter Morning at Our House

2009-04-27T14:48:00.000-07:00

On Easter morning, the kids woke up bright and early. Out on the coffee table, there was evidence that someone had been in our house during the night. It was the Easter Bunny! He loved his snack and left the kids a note.

The kids looked for their baskets. Kendall said "the Easter Bunny was tricky this year." Eventually, everyone found their baskets, and boy, were they full of goodies.

After far too much candy for 7:00 AM, the children decided to go outside for the annual plastic egg hunt (always done in our pajamas). This is one of every ones' favorite Easter activities. It's amazing how fast 3 kids can find 36 eggs!

The kids worked up quite an appetite after all the early morning excitement. We had a yummy breakfast with every one's favorite : Cinnamon Squares.

After breakfast, it was time for everyone to get spiffy for our busy afternoon. The kids looked adorable decked out in their Easter clothes (compliments of Gammy)!

This is one of my favorite pictures of all three kids...you may see this one again;on your Xmas card!!!

How Egg-citing

2009-04-13T20:10:00.000-07:00

On the night before Easter, as always, we colored eggs. We waited for Nolan to go to bed, and then we went for it!

Kendall thought the vinegar was stinky

These girls are ready to color some eggs

The girls were experts when it came to dying Easter eggs

The girls waited very patiently for their eggs to get dark enough. They even dipped some eggs in two different colors, it made some neat shades.

After they were done dying their eggs, the girls carefully decorated them with stickers

The girls insisted that Mom made an egg...here it is

All of the Easter eggs turned out to be beautiful, nice job girls!

It was an eggs-tra special night

It's a Beautiful Day for Some Softball

2009-04-13T19:40:00.000-07:00

This weekend, Andrew came over. It was beautiful out, so the kids decided to go practice their softball skills.

Natalie and Kendall in action

Kendall and Andrew playing together

A juice break was necessary after a whole 7 minutes of playing

It was a great day to play some ball

Natalie's Birthday

2009-04-13T18:49:00.000-07:00

Wednesday was Natalie's birthday. It was a school day, so, we did the best we could. Mom made chocolate chip cookies for Natalie to bring in to school. She even had 8 leftover cookie to give out to other teachers in the school (including the principal). Mom also came in during Natalie's lunch time. She brought McDonald's in and had a special birthday lunch with Natalie and Kendall.

When Natalie arrived home from school, the phone calls started pouring in. Aunt Teresa, Aunt Dani, Patty, and Gammy all called to wish her a happy birthday. She also had a chance to try her new game, My Sims Kingdom, on the Wii.

Natalie talking on the phone, playing the Wii

Kristen came over for dinner. Her and Shauna gave Natalie a game called Animal Crossing for the Nintendo DS

Natalie wanted spaghetti for her birthday dinner. It is her favorite, even though she doesn't like sauce.

We all sat together and enjoyed dinner

Then, more ice cream (Natalie's request)

Make a wish!!!

Happy birthday baby girl, I love you!!!

Natalie's Sleepover

2009-04-09T11:09:00.001-07:00

On Saturday, Natalie had her birthday party. Her friends were all able to come. We started at the mall where we grabbed dinner and a movie (Monsters vs. Aliens).

Natalie's friends Julie, Cassidi, Hannah, Helena, Kris, and Kendall all went. Dinner and the movie were both great!

Kendall's friend Lainey and her mom joined us too.

After our mall adventure, we headed to the house to open gifts.

Hannah gave Natalie a pair of pajamas, lip gloss, a sticker for her mirror, a scarf, and a birthday crown.

Cassidi gave Natalie a pair of pajamas, mini gel pens, a note pad, and a glow necklace.

Julie gave Natalie a Nintendo DS game called Mama Cooking.

After presents, we had make your own sundaes and cupcakes.

Yummy!!!

Hannah couldn't spend the night because she had brunch in the morning, but it was great to spend the day with her!!!

Before bed, the girls toasted with sparkling grape juice.

The girls settled into Mom's bed for a movie and some sleep.

After quite a bit of silliness, the girls finally fell asleep.

In the morning, the girls ate eggs, sausage, toast, and cinnamon rolls. Everyone thought it was an awesome birthday party!

Another Final Down

2009-04-05T07:41:00.000-07:00

Once again, for those who are keeping track...

Mom took a final on Friday for her Responding to Emergencies class. She passed with an "A". Two classes down...three to go! This poll could get tricky with all of these As...

Yeah Mommy!

World Thinking Day

2009-04-05T07:09:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, the girls went to "World Thinking Day" for Girl Scouts. The goal: to think and learn about the people in other countries. Each troop chose a different country to present. Each troop made a craft and a dish for their country. The girls brought 100 pennies each, and bought crafts and foods from other troops/countries.

There were a lot of girls there.

Natalie's troop chose Japan and Kendall's troop chose Egypt.

Natalie's troop made "sushi" out of rice crispy treats, Fruit-by-the-Foot, and Gummy worms for their dish. They also had Japanese cheesecake. For their craft, they made Japanese-style fans.

Kendall's troop made Egyptian butter cookies for their dish. For the craft, they made bookmarks.

The girls had a ton of fun working their booths, visiting other booths, and buying crafts from other countries. The learned a lot too.

Extreme Randomness

2009-03-22T08:01:00.000-07:00

I am due for blog on random pictures...so this is about as random as it gets!!!

My new favorite picture of Nolan

Sunburned Mom and her little ones

Miss Natalie looking good in her sparkles

A night out with friends

That's my sister!!!

A visit with Jenn and Alex

Here's Kendall and Nolan's new trick...they learned about it on Yo Gabba Gabba

Look Mom no hands!

St. Patrick's Day

2009-03-22T07:51:00.000-07:00

This St. Patrick's day was a blast. Before school, we decked the girls out in green. Grandma Cruise sent over body stickers for the kids...they were a hit!

Nolan loved his shamrock sticker, he showed anyone who would look

Kendall had a leprechaun

Thumbs up!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

A Fashion Show

2009-03-21T19:32:00.000-07:00

This week, Natalie's Girl Scout troop put on a fashion show for the residents at the Villa Serene. The girls chose two outfits each. Natalie's first outfit was in the "my favorite outfit" category. She wore her striped guitar shirt and sparkle jeans with her black shoes. Everyone loved it.

For the "dress" category, Natalie wore her favorite (weather-appropriate) dress. She also carried her Fur-Real Friend as an accessory.

Kendall's friend Macy was there. They also got to walk the catwalk at the end of the fashion show!

After the show, the girls served the residents finger foods...sandwiches, fruit, etc.

They had a chance to meet and make friends with people that they had never met before. At the end, the girls sang some songs and said goodbye. It was a really great experience, and the girls earned a badge.

Ice Skating!!!

2009-03-12T07:35:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I'm a little behind on this post. On Sunday, the girls and I went ice skating. We had a ton of fun! Natalie had a birthday party at the ice skating rink, so I brought Kendall with me and her and I also went ice skating.

It was Kendall's first time ever ice skating...and Mom hasn't been in skates for over a decade.

Natalie has gone skating a few times, and was looking forward to getting on the ice.

She used a traffic cone to help her keep her balance. She was really good at skating with the cone.

Kendall couldn't figure out how to skate with a cone, so she used Mommy's hand and the wall at first.

After many falls (and unsuccessful attempts to bring Mom down with her), Kendall actually got the hang of ice skating.

Natalie the "professional"

Kendall and Mom with blue icing on our lips. What a fun day!!!

Girl Scout Sleepover

2009-03-10T20:33:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, Natalie's Girl Scout troop had their annual sleepover. This year, they stayed at the Science and Discovery Center in Binghamton. Mom has been lucky enough to be able to go to all of the sleepovers...they have all been fun. This was no exception!!!

We rode with our friends Deb and McKenzie. Deb and Mom work together and enjoyed having a Saturday night off.

When we finally got there, the girls had to earn a badge...the "Science and Discovery" badge.

They performed several experiments and documented their predictions and conclusions.

At the first station, the girls made kaleidoscopes. Here is a picture of the inside of Natalie's.

Next, the used cabbage juice (stinky!) to determine if certain things were acids or bases. If the liquid turned red when cabbage juice was put into it, it was an acid and if it turned blue, it was a base. The safety goggles were too cute.

Next, they conducted an experiment to see how many drops of water could be held on a coin without overflowing. I'm not sure these results were quite accurate...

Next, the girls tested how fast a ball would roll on different surface areas...they learned about "friction".

The final station was a favorite for the kids and adults: optical illusions. We spent some extra time on that station.

After they earned their badge, the girls were given some time to explore the Science and Discovery Center. We played on some silly bikes first (Deb and Mom are on a tandem bike).

There was a hair salon

Natalie was on the news station (there was a TV where you could watch the report).

We enjoyed the fire truck and the huge gear

Natalie loved the mini-supermarket with cash registers and all.

Natalie in some jungle gear

Checking out the back of an ambulance

Funny cut-outs of sunflowers and trolls

The girls were allowed to sleep anywhere in the Center. Natalie and her friend chose the ambulance. Mom was happy because she got to sleep on a stretcher in the adjacent "emergency room"...still not too comfy, but better than the floor.

We had a TON of fun!!!!

Random

2009-02-26T18:38:00.001-08:00

This week, a "mystery bruise" appeared on Nolan's head. Nobody knows how he got it...he never cried or made a scene.

Mommy's girls

Nolan stickering himself

Extreme close-up

Nat and Kendall playing Nintendo DS

Nolan...eating bubbles...

Happy faces

Update on the poll

2009-02-17T07:30:00.000-08:00

For those who were keeping track, Mom actually had a final last week. Biology was an intense 5 week course with only 4 grades and a final. Mom passed with an "A" on the final and an "A" in the course. You go Mom!!!

Finally!

2009-02-17T07:19:00.001-08:00

We finally got Nolan's hair cut...and he was such a good boy!!!

We took him to the mall barber shop. He did pretty well with the clippers. He kept telling the poor man cutting his hair that he needed to "STOP!"

When he was finished with his haircut, he was looking fresh.

We bought the kids some McDonald's for being so good...that is a rare treat at our house.

Yummy!!!

Snuggies for Kids

2009-02-15T21:03:00.000-08:00

Call me a dork but ever since I have seen the Snuggie commercials I have wanted one. Patty bought each of the girls a child's Snuggie (it's not made by Snuggie, but it's the same idea). The girls had to check them out.

After quite a bit of figuring out how the snaps went, Daddy wrapped each of his girls up.

They loved them!!! They both slept in them all night and every night since.

Silly girls!!!

Ladies Night!!!

2009-02-15T20:38:00.000-08:00

Ladies Night 2009

On the Monday before Patty left, Natalie, Kendall, Mom, Gammy, and Patty had a girls night out. Kendall had Girl Scouts. We dropped her off and went to Picnic Pizza (yummy) for some dinner.

We enjoyed pizza, french fries, and chicken tenders with hot sauce (Mom's favorite).

When Kendall was finished with her Girl Scout meeting, we picked her up and headed over to Friendly's for some ice cream. Kendall ate some cheese sticks first and then had an M&M sundae. Natalie got chocolate ice cream with chocolate syrup (her favorite).

After our fun night out, we posed for some pictures and called it a night. It was a blast!

Cristmas in February!

2009-02-15T19:53:00.000-08:00

Oh yes, we managed to stretch Christmas out all the way into February this year...compliments of the kid's godmother, Patty. She came to visit us and she certainly brought Christmas with her!

It is always a treat when Patty comes to see us. It is nice just to see her, but somehow she always manages to spoil the heck out of my children the entire time she is here.

Patty, Aunt Teresa, Uncle Dennis, Aunt Dani, Uncle Chris, Natalie, Kendall, Nolan and Mom all met up on Saturday at Gammy and Gampy's house for some donuts, coffee, and Christmas.

Patty got all of the children some hot chocolate to have with their donuts...they felt like such big kids.

After breakfast, the unwrapping began...

Nolan wanted to unwrap every present as fast as he could...after he had opened a few of his presents he started playing instead of the crazy unwrapping.

Kendall and Natalie both opened some pretty awesome gifts. They were both very happy and promised to take care of their new electronics. Kendall got a Nintendo DS and Natalie got an iPod Shuffle.

Patty also brought gift for the big kids, including a Coach purse for each of us!

Aunt Teresa also opened a couple gifts for Tater Tot and a new maternity wardrobe. Her belly is getting pretty big!!!

We hung out for quite a bit longer and the kids played with their godmother and their new toys. We had an awesome time together for "Christmas in February".

It's Time...

2009-02-05T20:40:00.001-08:00

Yesterday, Nolan was trying to put my hair clip in his hair. Seeing as it is so big, I figured it would never stay in. Well, it did...because he has needed a haircut since before Christmas (Daddy, too). Aunt Cassie will be cutting his hair on Saturday...

Here are some pictures I took of his ridiculously long hair

For some reason he wouldn't open his eyes in any of the pictures

My silly little boy

Happy Birthday Andrew!!!

2009-02-05T13:16:00.000-08:00

Exactly a week after Kevin's birthday is his son Andrew's birthday. He turned 12 this year. We celebrated his birthday with him on Tuesday (his birthday was Wednesday), and we had a blast. Everyone loves when Andrew comes over, he's such a good kid! He is saving up for a Nintendo DS, so we gave him money for a gift (that was what he asked for).

After playing for a couple hours after school, we had Andrew's birthday dinner. He chose spaghetti and meatballs. Everyone LOVES spaghetti in our house!

After spaghetti, we had Andrew's birthday cookies (his choice). Andrew got a special, extra large cookie. We still couldn't fit close to 12 candles on it (it ended up being 5). He said it didn't matter as long as he got a wish. Nolan helped blow the candles out and took all of them out of Andrew's cookie for him.

Natalie wasn't feeling well that day (or so she said...), so she saved her cookie for the next day. Everyone else scarfed down their cookies because we were in a hurry for Andrew's basketball game.

Andrew played so well at his game. He is a star on his team. He had several good passes and 1 basket. Last game, he had 8 points! It was so cute to hear Nolan yelling "Go Andrew, Go Andrew" for the entire game.

We all enjoyed watching Andrew play basketball. His team won...by one basket! We were so proud. It was a very nice way to end his birthday celebration with us.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANDREW!!!

A Super 3D Experience

2009-02-05T12:44:00.000-08:00

Yes, thanks to Kristen, we had 3D glasses for the halftime show in the Superbowl...

Mom and Dad enjoyed a very good game but the girls were looking forward to the halftime show and not very interested in the game.

Kendall wasn't feeling well but she hung in there. She was jumping at all of the 3D stuff coming at her during the show.

Natalie and Kendall have never seen anything in 3D before...

The verdict: The LOVED it, so did Mom and Dad. We watched "Chuck" the next night, that was awesome in 3D too!

Kevin's Birthday

2009-02-04T13:18:00.000-08:00

It's been a while, but don't worry...We've still been busy!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY!!!

January 28th was Kevin's birthday. He got just what he wanted and even a little more. It was very snowy on Dad's birthday. Daddy LOVES the snow (he even loves to shovel it). It was so snowy on his birthday that both Mom and the girls had a snow day (no school). You'll notice the girls have "snow day" looking hair-dos (after I found out there wasn't school, brushing their hair dropped down to the bottom of my priority list).

The girls and Mom did a very good job keeping Daddy's birthday presents a secret. Even though they weren't wrapped, Dad enjoyed his presents. We gave him a new sweatshirt and a new t-shirt (Dale Earnhardt Jr....no comment). We also gave him Mario Kart (for the Wii) with 2 steering wheels, and a Wii soft sports kit (for Wii sports; it's a bat, a golf club and a tennis racket made out of Nerf material). So, for the rest of the day we all took turns playing Mario Kart.

Nolan even tried to play

After a big dinner (A roast with potatoes, rolls, and corn), everyone was ready for dessert. We sang "Happy Birthday", Kevin blew out the candles, and we all enjoyed some brownies.

At any birthday party, Nolan always tries to be the birthday boy. He stole the candle off of Dad's brownies and put it into his brownie.

The day after Kevin's birthday we went over to celebrate with Grandma Cruise. We can't have just one party around here...

Here's Kevin trying to blow out the candles on his Texas sheet cake (it's so good). As usual, Nolan is blowing them out during the "Happy Birthday to You" song. Kevin thinks that when we look back on this picture we might think it is Nolan's second birthday party.

It was a very nice time at Grandma's house. We had dinner with Grandma, Kristen, Shauna and all of the kiddos. Grandma made Italian chicken and she made Kevin a meatloaf (which he never gets because no one in our family will eat it). After dinner we ate Grandma's famous sheet cake (in case you didn't notice Kevin LOVES chocolate). The kids and Dad hung out with Kristen, Shauna, and Grandma after cake. Mommy was stuck upstairs typing a paper for school because our computer broke on Kevin's birthday and I had a paper due on Friday. Unfortunately, I didn't get many pictures because I was upstair for most of the time. As for the computer, it's out of the shop (minus 17 viruses and plus a new virus scanning system) and working perfectly (so far...)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KEVIN

A Broken TV and Some Crazy Kids

2009-01-22T05:06:00.001-08:00

Like the little TV in front of our big TV??? Unfortunately, on Monday our TV blew (another) bulb. The bulbs have to be ordered and are over $100 a piece...and so...

While we wait for our new bulb (should be here today!!!) we moved mom's TV from her bedroom out to the living room. Dad says it looks like his "picture in picture" fell out of the TV

Nolan was not letting anyone watch the inauguration on Tuesday...

And these are my crazy kids using their Webkinz snakes as lassos...

Yee-haw Kendall!!!

A Project And Another Photo Shoot

2009-01-20T09:47:00.000-08:00

This week, Kendall had a project due in her kindergarten class. She was supposed to make a snowperson. She decided to make a girl. Her favorite color is purple, and so is the hat. Didn't she do an awesome job?The photo-shoot:

Mom survived her 1st week of school with no problems!!!

Photographers: Natalie and Kendall

We got kind of silly towards the end (the girls LOVE taking pictures of silly faces)

Visits With Friends

2009-01-19T16:19:00.000-08:00

Over the holidays, I managed to have some awfully fun get-togethers with friends. Here are some highlights...

Lunch at Tonino's with my high school friends

Stan and Shannon came over to play the Wii

Lunch with Jenn and Grace at Olive Garden (yummy)

My good friend Melissa came into town from North Carolina. We had an awesome time visiting and catching up.

My friend Kasey and I had a girls night at my house, here we are being silly!

It was really nice to see friends from present and past. I have some really fun friends!

A Scholar in the Making

2009-01-12T19:03:00.000-08:00

Do I look nervous??? Nah, it's determination you see (okay, maybe a little nervous)! Today was Mom's first day ever at college. After many years of consideration, I finally decided to go for it. I am going to attempt to become a nurse. I imagine it will be a few very tough years, but in theory, the rest of our lives should be easier. I finished high school with 13 college credits, which made fulfilling my prerequisites for the Nursing Program at Corning Community College (offered only in the fall semester) much easier.
My schedule is as follows:
9-10(MWF): Biology (I am retaking from high school because after 10 years it doesn't count...not even my 94 regents score)

10-11(MWF): Sociology (which I took in high school, not a college level class though)

11-12(MWF): Responding to Emergencies- will be certified in CPR (for the 3rd time in my life) and will be certified to use a defibrillator

12-1(MWF): College Composition (I like to write, in case you haven't noticed)

1-2(MWThF): Algebra- this is another class that I took over 10 years ago...passed that with a 98

I tried to set up a non-overwhelming schedule to help transition myself back into the whole school thing. Feel free to vote in my school-related poll on the left.

My friend Shauna and I are on a very similar schedule this semester ( due to careful planning, not coincidence). We both go to classes from 9:00 to 2:00 (Natalie and Kendall catch their bus at 7:40 and get home from school at 2:50). 3 of my 5 classes are with Shauna (who is not a new student and has helped me through the entire process) which made it a much easier situation for me. Shauna is also trying to fulfill her prerequisites for the nursing program. Kevin is staying home to take care of the children while I pursue college and go to work. We decided it was important to us that we raise our children, even if it means less income. It's a very hard (and often frustrating) job to be a stay at home parent, and I appreciate his sacrifice.

So far, I really enjoyed my first day. I like all of my teachers and the class itineraries look reasonable and interesting for the most part...Hopefully I won't be singing a different tune after a few classes!

Natalie and Kendall love the fact that while they're at school so is Mom...

Nolan will have to adjust to Mom leaving during the day (on top of work 3 nights a week and a double every Saturday). When he gets older I think he'll not only understand, but appreciate what I am doing. My goal is to lead my children by example, and hopefully(at least on this one), they'll follow.

Disney on Ice

2009-01-04T13:27:00.001-08:00

This weekend Natalie, Kendall, Mom, Gammy, and Grandma Cruise went to Disney on Ice...and it was totally AWESOME!!! Kendall hardly sat down the entire show. We sat all the way on the top row right in the middle, and we had a great view of all the excitement. The pictures are definitely low-quality, but I gave it my best shot.

The first act was introduced by Mickey, Minnie, Donald Duck, Chip and Dale. Goofy helped fix their "broken" Zamboni.

Then, an awesome Aladdin performance of "You Ain't Never Had a Friend Like Me."

Followed by Finding Nemo

Beauty and the Beast

The Disney Princesses (Kendall's favorite)

Toy Story

It's a Small World

Intermission...Yummy

Mickey and the Band

Pinocchio

Mulan (Natalie's favorite)

The Incredibles

The Lion King

Grand Finale

We all loved it and enjoyed the show. It was AWESOME!!!!

Ringing in '09

2009-01-02T21:43:00.000-08:00

This New Year's Eve, we were going to go to Grandma's house. Because of the ridiculously freezing and windy weather that evening, we decided to stay in. Andrew came over to celebrate with us. We were all pretty tired (not yet recovered from Xmas and the Wii has kept us up late every night...very late), and we look awfully rough in some of these pictures. Either way, we certainly had fun!

At about 9 o'clock, we were all happy to put Nolan in bed, even Nolan (one benefit of being home...)

Everyone played Wii until about 11:15, and then we watched the coverage in NYC...we decided that the people in Times Square were crazy to be outside for so long. We made some snack plates up, and waited for the ball to drop. Despite being exhausted from all of the holiday celebrations, everyone made it...even Kendall!!! It was her first year staying awake until midnight on New Year's. She was resting on the couch (in kind of an exhausted zone) for most of the night, but she was determined to watch the infamous ball drop and she made it. At midnight, we all did a chocolate milk/Pepsi toast to a Happy '09.

The kids were ready for bed after our celebration concluded. We gave hugs and kisses goodnight and went to bed. We are hoping 2009 ends up being as great of a year as 2008 was for our family...so far, it's looking pretty good.

On New Years Day, everyone slept in. We had a big, yummy breakfast and lounged around. We declared it a pajama day, and played Mario Cart for most of the morning. New Years Day was very uneventful...just the kind of day everyone needed.

HAPPY 2009!!!!!

Keeping Christ in "Christ"mas

2008-12-28T12:33:00.000-08:00

We dedicated part of our Christmas Day to going to church. It is important that we keep in mind what it is that we really celebrate on Christmas. On the Sunday before Christmas and on Christmas day, the children participated in a Christmas pageant.

Natalie was the Blessed Mother Mary and Kendall was an angel. Nolan was invited to be a lamb (carry a stuffed lamb and look cute) but he wanted to stay with Mom.

There were more kids in the Sunday before Christmas production than there were on Christmas day, but Mom forgot her camera that day and was busy helping in the back. All of the children in the Christmas Day pageant were related to us (Kevin has 14 nieces and nephews).

The Christmas pageant was a very fun way for us to be reminded of what Christmas is really celebrating. After a short mass and the pageant all of us visited for a bit and parted ways. It was really nice.

Mother Mary and her favorite angel

Merry "Christ"mas!!!