Three Countries - One Family

Mia and her Glasses

2011-06-29T15:58:00.000-04:00

Mia getting her eyes checked

Check out the cool sunglasses!

Can you see anything?

Look at the light

Now which ones do we pick??

Try these on

Look at me... now I can see!

I finally admitted it today. I have a problem. My problem is that I LOVE to take pictures. We went to the eye doctor today and Mia ended up needing glasses. To remember this big event I pulled out my camera that I keep in my carry-on luggage (AKA my purse). Her new glasses will be in next week and she will be able to see things better. Yes I was the only Mama there on her knees snapping away ...but I don't care. It's not everyday that your princess gets her first pair of glasses! We think that Miss Mia looks cute already...but with her new glasses she looks even cuter!

The Troika

2011-06-29T00:47:00.002-04:00

What does a seven year ride when he is too short for any "real" roller coasters, but feels the need for speed?? The Troika. Ethan was tall enough to ride this ride this year...and ride he did. (6 times:) Mia was still too short, but she enjoyed watching Ethan as he spun in the air. Hopefully next year Mia can enjoy the Troika and Ethan can make to move to a "real" roller coaster!

The Faces of Five

2011-06-28T00:14:00.007-04:00

It's hard to believe that Mia turned 5 last Saturday. To celebrate we went to Cedar Point. We are finding that being five brings many mood swings and a little attitude. While waiting for Steve to get food I did an impromptu photo shoot. With these faces of a fresh five year old, I can only imagine what is in store for us this year!

6 years ago today

2010-11-02T00:10:00.000-04:00

Ethan was placed in our arms FOREVER!!

Our little pumpkin

My guys

Embassy day

Landing in AMERICA!!!

Ethan's first day at home

Six years ago today we were at the embassy in Guatemala City with Ethan for our appointment. He officially became a member of our family. We flew down to Guatemala October 31, 2004, our appointment was November 2 and we flew home November 4. My has time flown by! I remember this day well because it was election day and there was concern for our safety as we entered and exited the embassy. I even tried to vote down there because we didn't realize that we would be traveling so soon. Six years later Ethan has grown into those cheeks and grown in our hearts. Everyday we thank God for him. He is such a joy to have home (most of the time:). Since then he has also become a big brother, some days he likes that role and other days he's in denial. We have had SIX years of joy and happiness with Ethan in our lives, we can't wait to see what lies in the future!

Back then the time frame for Guatemalan adoptions was running around 4 months. Ethan's adoption took under 3 months to complete from referral to pick up. If things could run that smooth then....why can't they run that way now??? Right now I just shake my head in amazement. I pray for all those waiting to bring home their little ones and for all of the children in Guatemala who are without families, waiting for adoptions to reopen. May the unnecessary and often ridiculous delays end and these children be placed in their families forever.

Halloween Night

2010-11-01T00:14:00.001-04:00

Happy Halloween! I know I haven't updated this blog in ages, but I am really going to try to update it more often! We had a wonderful night tonight trick or treating in the crisp fall air. The color of the leaves were BEAUTIFUL and the sun was painting the sky a rainbow of colors. Ethan and Mia went as Toy Story characters. Mia was Jessie and Ethan was the green army man. We made Ethan's costume ( yes I did spray pain his clothes..it took 14 cans of spray paint to get the plastic army green look). After layering many clothes and putting on their costumes, Ethan & Mia were ready for some trick or treating. Ethan made a map this year, complete with compass as to our route for the evening. He said he needed a map because he is a boy scout now and that's what they do. We are wondering if next year we will graduate to a GPS! We followed the map and went through the neighborhood making sure to hit all of the highlighted spots. Right now we are the in "quality control" mode. (AKA Mama and Dad pick out their favorite sweets:) In a few days I'll be over all this sugar, but right now I am in heaven!

Miss Violet #1

2010-07-21T23:33:00.001-04:00

Monday evening I had the opportunity to photograph this cutie. Miss Violet has the sweetest smile and giggle. And those eyes.....BEAUTIFUL! She was such a good sport letting me take so many pictures in the blazing heat. Thanks Violet for all your smiles:) Happy birthday!

Miss Violet #2

2010-07-21T23:28:00.000-04:00

Miss Violet #3

2010-07-21T23:26:00.000-04:00

Miss Violet #4

2010-07-21T23:25:00.000-04:00

Miss Violet #5

2010-07-21T23:24:00.000-04:00

Miss Violet #6

2010-07-21T23:23:00.000-04:00

Miss Violet #7

2010-07-21T23:22:00.000-04:00

Miss Violet #8

2010-07-21T23:21:00.000-04:00

Miss Violet #9

2010-07-21T23:19:00.000-04:00

Miss Violet #10

2010-07-21T23:18:00.000-04:00

Miss Violet #11

2010-07-21T23:16:00.000-04:00

Mr. Griffin

2010-07-08T23:43:00.027-04:00

Since Kendal had her photo shoot last week, we decided to take Griffin out to do an impromptu photo shoot in the blazing heat. Thanks for being such a great sport Griffin!

Miss Kendal

2010-07-01T22:46:00.012-04:00

Miss Kendal turns SIX tomorrow. I had the pleasure of taking her birthday pictures tonight. I'm glad I don't have to pick a favorite:) Happy Birthday Kendal!

A Canadian Ritual

2010-04-15T16:00:00.001-04:00

Steve's version of a scrapbook store

I thought a stick was just a stick??? How many can there be? (5 rows to be exact!)

Getting fitted for skates

Ethan's first steps

Hey look at me!

Ethan's new skates, just like Daddy's

Mia's skates

Mia's first step

Look I can walk by myself!

Mia gets the hang of this

Getting fitted for a helmet

Now how can Mia play hockey without a bow??

Watch out here's Mia the Hockey Monster - Complete with scar (that story to come later)

Steve in all his glory

Now getting fitted for elbow pads

In January we made the pilgrimage to Canada to buy Ethan & Mia their first pairs of ice skates. I had been through the ice skating ritual with Steve before because I took a class in college and I needed a new pair. To say Steve was disgusted with our selection of skates here in the good old USA is an understatement. I ended up getting my skates in his motherland. Steve's Dad met us at the hockey store to witness this historic event. Yes I looked like the crazed American taking pictures every 2 seconds but I didn't care. Compared to the other kids shopping for skates, my kiddos were old. In think they fit the kids for their first set of skates on the way home from the hospital when they are born. Anyways, Ethan and Mia were SUPER excited that they were able to get skates like Daddy. At first Ethan was wobbly...but soon got the hang of walking in them,Miss Mia has a ways to go. In fact he even started jumping and spinning. His Daddy quickly reminded him that those were HOCKEY skates. With our new sports gear in tow we had dinner with Grandpa Bruce then came home praying for cold weather so we test everything out. It was such a fun day...who knows you may be looking at the start of the first Guatemalan hockey team for the Olympics:)

Easter Morning Fashion Show

2010-04-13T21:29:00.013-04:00

We went to the early service at church on Easter then stayed for breakfast there. When we came home I tried to get some pictures of Ethan & Mia. These two kiddos have become wise to their Mama and her camera and don't stay still for too long. It was such a BEAUTIFUL day! We went to Grammy & Pa's to find their baskets and have dinner. We played outside and ate LOTS of candy (especially peeps:). What a great way to rejoice in the Lord and celebrate.

What's up with the CRAZY birds?

2010-04-12T11:48:00.004-04:00

A few weeks ago we started spring cleaning and washed our windows. Since then we have been waking up each morning, not to birds singing but to birds crashing into our windows or pecking at them. It's seems to be multiple birds that keep doing this. We have had birds crash into our windows before, but never this repeated, or this deranged. It starts in the morning and continues throughout the day. I keep thinking that sooner or later these birds are going to kill themselves. Any suggestions on how to get rid of them? I wish they would just sing to us instead!

Spring Is Back...And so Are We

2010-04-11T22:38:00.004-04:00

After some time off...(uh almost a year) I am back to the blogging world. I hope to be able to post much more often. We hope all is well with you!

School Pictures - May 2009

2009-08-03T08:13:00.001-04:00

Miss Mia

Where did our little boy go?

Ethan had school pictures in April. The photographer offered to take pictures of siblings too. Mia thought she was pretty cool when she got to go to school with Ethan. Since the pictures were so close to Easter we decided to make these pictures our Easter pictures. When I look at these pictures I realize how fast time our kiddos are growing up!

A Day Out With Thomas (4/24/09)

2009-07-30T00:29:00.000-04:00

Greenfield Village

Going for a ride in a Model T

Warm weather AND Thomas...what more could you ask for?

Pretty in Pink

Ethan pretending to be Doc Hudson

Momma giving her speed demons a ride

Mia on her frog

Ethan on his Zebra

All aboard...it's time for our ride!

Thomas & his friends

Clickety clack...Thomas goes down the track

In April we made our annual trip to Greenfield Village to see Thomas the Tank Engine. We weren't going to go this year but at the last second a friend had extra free tickets. The weather was in the 80s and we FINALLY got to see Thomas with NO RAIN (it was in the 50s and raining the other times we saw him). Ethan & Mia besides loving Thomas enjoyed a ride on the pedal cars. We rode the merry go round then had dinner. It was such a fun way to spend a warm sunny spring afternoon!

Spring Fun

2009-07-29T01:06:00.001-04:00

Mia & her plumber's crack

Mia on the phone with Daddy

While the thermometer still hadn't broken 60 degrees, we had cabin fever and needed to get outside. Ethan had been waiting all year to play with his buckets of water. Mia joined him and had herself a spring tea party. There was still coolness in the air so our water fun didn't last long, but being outside felt so refreshing!

Mia's Easter Accesory...Matching Peeps

2009-07-28T02:05:00.001-04:00

Easter 2009

2009-07-26T23:20:00.001-04:00

Mia with her new princess books

Ethan checking his Haunted Mansion out

Can you tell how much someone like his Haunted Mansion?

Yeah Easter Candy!!!!!!!!!!

Steve had to work on Easter so our celebration was small. After church Amy, Ethan & Mia went to Amy's parents house. There Ethan & Mia hunted for their baskets. Somehow the Easter bunny found Ethan a haunted mansion (his favorite ride at Disney) and Disney cars. Mia got princess books and Disney My Little Ponies in her basket. After work, Steve was able to join us for dinner and join in our egg hunt. It was "egg-stra" special:)

Mia and her Coat

2009-07-23T01:21:00.001-04:00

A coworker of Steve's found this coat for Mia. I think it is the cutest little coat..and Mia loves wearing it. We came home from church and had an impromptu photo shoot. Ethan had to sneak in a few pictures. Thanks Debbie, Mia & her Momma love her coat!!

Easter fun With Family (4/4/09)

2009-07-21T02:18:00.000-04:00

Because Steve had to work on Easter and Amy's sister lives out of town, we celebrated Easter & had our traditional Easter dinner Palm Sunday weekend. Saturday morning we all colored eggs and flew kites. Once Ethan & Mia got up from their naps, we headed outside for our egg hunt. The kids loved finding their eggs and the candy that was inside. After dinner Auntie Sarah & Uncle Scott played dress up with Ethan & Mia. (It's hard to say who had more fun!) With family far away & crazy work schedules, we are blessed for the time we can spend together.

Let's Go Fly A Kite (4/4/09)

2009-07-17T22:16:00.002-04:00

This was our first kite flying adventure of the year. It was VERY windy and chilly. Our $2.99 kites held up pretty well through all of the crash & burn landings. After 20 minutes standing in gale force winds we were OVER the kites and headed inside.

Disney Day 6 - 3/6/09

2009-06-29T01:44:00.012-04:00

"Picking" flowers for the Princesses

Shopping after the fireworks

On our 6th day we went to Hollywood Studios in the morning, came back to the hotel for a nap, then had dinner in Epcot. Hollywood studios was fun, but it didn't hold Ethan & Mia's attention like the other parks. We did go see the Playhouse Disney Show, which they enjoyed and saw the Voyage of the little Mermaid...of course Ethan LOVED that! Our favorite ride there was the Toy Story Midway Mania ride. (Even Mia could figure out how to shoot the gun:) We also had fun going to Radiator Springs for a quick photo. I think the highlight of the day came at dinner time when we ate at the Akerhaus Royal Dinner Table in Epcot. While we ate Belle, Ariel, Jasmine, Cinderella, & Aurora came around to sign autograph books & take pictures. Ethan & Mia had a hard time focusing on eating because they were so enamored with the princesses. Mia's favorite was Cinderella. We finished dinner just in time to watch the fireworks show. Then we headed back to the hotel. This night was the only night we had issues with the buses. It was extra magic hours and many buses were broken down. We had to wait 45 min. to catch one, but Ethan & Mia didn't mind because Grammy & Pa bought them each their own new princess doll. They entertained themselves while we endured the wait. We now know we won't go to a park that has extra magic hours because the busing becomes a big problem. Lesson learned:)

Disney Day 5 - 3/5/09

2009-06-26T00:57:00.002-04:00

Mia in her new sunglasses

I love this look

The Mad Tea Party

Ethan loved making our teacup go round and round

Mia & Pa waiting to ride the Indy Speedway cars

Watch out CRAZY driver

Pa driving Miss Mia

Mia in Minnie Mouse's house

Watching a show in front of the castle

Trying on hats in Mexico at the World Showcase in Epcot

Day 5 Steve went bass fishing in the morning while we headed back to the Magic Kingdom. Again we arrived when it first opened and were able to get many rides done. By far the best rides of the day were the tea cups and the Indy race cars. After riding the tea cups, Mia asked if she could get in a tea cup at home and spin around:) Ethan enjoyed driving Momma around...he did complain that his car didn't go fast enough (I hope this isn't a sign for the future!). After we all had naps we went to Epcot for dinner. We ate in Mexico at the World Showcase. Our tablet was right next to the ride that goes through the restaurant. As the boats passed our table Ethan would tell everyone to enjoy their ride. It was too cute. The food was EXCELLENT and we were in food coma when we got back to our hotel. Again another magical day!

Disney Day 4 - Epcot (3/4/09)

2009-06-24T08:30:00.003-04:00

Day 4 we went to Epcot to spend the day. We didn't know if Ethan & Mia would enjoy Epcot, but were surprised how much they liked it. By far the biggest hit was the Living Seas Finding Nemo ride (we rode it 3 times :) and meeting Mary Poppins in England in the World Showcase. We also met some characters, but Mia wanted NOTHING to do with them (except for Mickey & Minnie). We walked & ate our way around the world showcase. It was finally starting to get warm & the sun felt so good! The workers were setting up for the upcoming flower showcase so there were beautiful flowers everywhere. We ate dinner at the living seas restaurant then headed back to bed. We ALL were beat!

Disney Day 3 - Animal Kingdom (3/3/09)

2009-06-23T08:38:00.002-04:00

Inside the gate at Animal Kingdom

The Tree of Life

Mickey's Jungle Parade

Finding Nemo

Whispering Canyon Cafe

The third day at Disney World we went to Animal Kingdom. We got there before the park opened and spent the whole day there. The parade at Animal Kingdom was awesome with all of the costumes. Ethan & Mia's favorite for the day was the safari ride & the Nemo show. That night we ate dinner at Whispering Canyon Cafe. The kids were able to race around the dining room on a hobby horse. It was FUN, FUN, FUN!

Yes we're still here

2009-06-22T08:37:00.001-04:00

I don't know if anyone still reads this...but we are still here. Have been BUSY, BUSY, BUSY. I am going to catch up this week (at least I hope so!)

Disney Day 2 - The Magic Kingdom

2009-04-03T23:05:00.002-04:00

It was cold but that made for beautiful blue skies!

This picture is blurry but we are still waiting for our photopass CD to come.

The calm before the storm in Mickey's Philharmagic

Cinderella's Carosel

Pa having fun in Liberty Square

Mia wasn't too fond of Donald

The Haunted Mansion...one of Ethan's favorite rides

Captain Ethan

What a beautiful sight at night!

We planned our vacation using the Unofficial Guide of Disney. That book was a LIFESAVER! We went the entire week and only had to wait a max of 10 minutes. When we go back we will definitely use it again.

We went to the Magic Kingdom on Monday and went to meet Ariel. Since we got there right when the park opened, we were first in line. They let us in to see Ariel and we had 10 minutes with her by ourselves. Ethan & Mia couldn't believe that they were meeting Ariel! We got some pictures and her autograph then did most of the rides in Fantasyland. The weather was colder than we thought it was going to be (it was only 57 with 30mph winds) so we tried to do things inside. The one attraction that both kiddos didn't like was Mickey's PhilharMagic. We think it was because it got so loud and it was a 4D attraction. Since Mia was a little frightened after Peter Pan's flight we didn't know how she would do in the Haunted Mansion. She ended up waving to the ghosts and Ethan was in awe with it. Pirates of the Caribbean was also a very big hit! We had lunch at the park and then headed to the hotel for naps. After dinner we came back for "Wishes" - the fireworks show at the Magic Kingdom. It was a MAGICAL DAY!

Disney Photos Day 1

2009-03-29T21:51:00.009-04:00

At the airport in Orlando waiting for the Magical Express to take us to our hotel. We gave Ethan a Mickey & Mia a Minnie to take with them. We hit the sales at the Disney store before we left so we didn't have to pay Magic Kingdom prices for things.

Let our vacation begin!

We had only been at our hotel for 10 minutes before Ethan spotted these ears. He LOVED wearing them!

Sorry this post is so late! I had to make room on our computer for all of our pictures:) We left for Disney at 5:00am Sunday March 1. The kids has no idea that we were going to Disney but when we told them where we were going, they were beyond excited! Our flights down were uneventful and Ethan & Mia did quite well. Mia recently has become quite the singer and on our second flight gave everyone a concert on her version of "Momma Mia". We checked into our hotel then walked around. Ethan spotted the pirate mouse ears and we couldn't say no. We had dinner with Cinderella, Prince Charming, Lady Tremaine, Anastasia, & Drizella. Mia LOVED Cinderella & Ethan couldn't get over the big dresses. He kept asking why those ladies had big bums. After dinner we headed back to the hotel to get some rest for our big day at the Magic Kingdom.

We're Home

2009-03-14T01:28:00.002-04:00

We're home and had a MAGICAL week! More pictures to come:)

Mia's New Swim Suit

2009-03-06T22:42:00.000-05:00

With our upcoming visit to Disney (known around our house as operation mouse ears) we needed to get Miss Mia a new swim suit. We were walking through the Disney store and she spotted this. She ran up to it and tried putting it on. Thankfully she let us pay for it and bring it home before she was able to model it for us.

Wardrobe Malfunction

2009-03-03T00:07:00.000-05:00

On Valentine's Day Mia decided she would try to take off her shirt by herself. She did pretty well until it got stuck on her head. Once her shirt was stuck she thought it made a pretty cool hat. Who knows maybe she just started a new fashion trend.

My Favorite Picture

2009-02-27T23:47:00.000-05:00

Ethan, Jesus, & Mary Poppins

2009-02-24T22:03:00.006-05:00

For the past few Sundays Ethan has opted to sit with us in church rather than stay in the nursery. He does pretty well keeping quiet. This past Sunday's sermon was based on perception...how something that looks ordinary to one person can be turned into something extraordinary in someone elses hands. (Based on Matthew 14:13-21...Where for most people the 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish just look like a fish sandwich, but in Jesus hands fed 5,000 people) The sermon started out with the analogy of an umbrella. How for most people an umbrella shields us from the rain but in Mary Poppins hands it allowed her to fly. Ethan perked right up because we got Mary Poppins for Valentine's Day and has been obsessed with it ever since. All of a sudden in his little voice your heard "Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down". We couldn't hold in our laughter:) And it was such a priceless moment. We did make it through the service but not without a chorus of "Step in Time".

Finally Snow for a Snowman

2009-02-22T22:20:00.000-05:00

It snowed again today (starting to sound like a broken record) and this time the snow was just right for snowman making. We headed outside to make a winter friend. The weather started out cold but comfortable, then the wind came up. Mia was over the snowman making fun in 5 minutes. Ethan stuck it out till the end. We couldn't get our snowman's eyes to stick because it was so windy...so he is missing body parts. Maybe next time our snowman will be complete.

Guess Where We're Going..

2009-02-22T21:50:00.001-05:00

Click HERE

Winter Tea Party

2009-02-20T22:11:00.001-05:00

Our "fine china" came out of retirement

Our lunch spread

An afternoon tea party

Yummy tea

Now we just need to get her pinkie up

The guests get a bath

Baby taking a tea bath....maybe it's a spa treatment

No one could answer how exactly this happened

Our petite fours

Look Momma...it's a magic rainbow cake that turns colors

Analyzing the petite fours

Yum, yum....Ethan searched for crumbs to clean up

Last week I got SICK of the snow and cold weather we have been having. I had Thursday off and decided that we were going to have a real tea party. I went to the store to get the necessary items such as petite fours. Ethan and Mia helped set up the table for our afternoon tea. I was really brave and even let them us our china we got for our wedding. The kids loved it! Ethan and Mia thought it was so special to be eating off of Momma & Daddy's china. The tea went well until their guests crashed our party. Pa Grape, Mr. Lunt and Larryboy from Veggie Tales were swimming in our teacups. Mia's babies decided that they were going to take baths at the party too. By the end of our party we had a mess. We had so much fun I didn't mind cleaning up.

The Snow Diet

2009-02-18T01:19:00.001-05:00

Ethan and Mia are OBSESSED with eating snow! It doesn't matter where we are or what the snow looks like it always ends up in their mouths. I have no idea where this fascination comes from. This past weekend we got about 2 inches of snow and we attempted to make a snowman. But again the snow wasn't "snowman" material. Good thing their diet is low calorie, has no points and has no membership fees:)

Going for Gold....FINAL RESULTS

2009-02-11T22:43:00.006-05:00

Team Canada won today against Jamaica so tomorrow Scott will play for the gold medal against Venezuela. So at the very least team Canada will get the silver medal. Go Scott go! Here are some more pictures and we'll keep you posted.

Team Canada won the silver medal. They ended up playing Jamaica. The final score was 8-7. Once we find out more we'll post it. We are so proud of you Scott!

Going for the Gold...Update

2009-02-10T21:58:00.007-05:00

(Check out their hotel room!!!)

Just passing on emails that we got this week:

Team Canada is Working Hard and Making Us All Proud!!!

This mornings e-mails have all kinds of neat stuff ...... The Boys are all representing Canada in the OSO way....

A team from Gibraltar (a British territory) that the boys met did not even have full gear for their team and the goaltender had only a pair of shin pads ..... the kindness of the Canadian boys was to give the Gibraltar team some of their spare gear. They suited this team with helmets for them all and a set of Goalie pads .... as word spread everyone wanted to meet these amazing Guys..... lots of pin trading has been going on and everyone there seems to be having the time of their lives...

We just received this email: Team Canada is hanging in there with three ties now and a loss. We also have two guys out on crutches .......

Going for the Gold

2009-01-31T23:12:00.003-05:00

Read Scott's bio here: Special Olympics Canada
Monday Steve's brother Scott will travel to Vancouver to join the entire Canadian Special Olympics team. The team will then head to the Winter World Special Olympics in Boise, Idaho. This is a dream come true for Scott. He had always wanted to play at a national championship but couldn't imagine being able to play for his country. He will be participating in floor hockey for Canada. Scott's team won the national championship last year. They have been practicing regularly and have even had a conditioning coach! We are so proud of everything Scottie has achieved in his life. We sure hope they can bring back the gold medal but if they don't we know he will bring back a lifetime of memories and have a lot of fun! So be safe Scott and good luck!

Frosty Fun - First Storm of 2009

2009-01-09T16:12:00.010-05:00

Miss Mia using her garden shovel to help Momma shovel the driveway

Look Momma I help you

One happy boy who was so excited that the snow was here!

Did I mention that he LOVES snow?

Mia tolerated the snow much better than I thought she would

It was snowing so fast that she had snow in her hood

Having fun outside

Trying Momma's mittens on

Yeah I can make a snowman now!

We gave up on his mittens and decided to try Momma's out

Licking the snow from his shovel

Today it started snowing around noon and hasn't stopped. I took Ethan & Mia outside to play while I shoveled the driveway. They had fun using their gardening shovels in the snow. Neither one really liked having their mittens on so eventually they came off. The weatherman said we should get 8 inches of snow but we'll see. Last time they said we were going to get 12 inches and got 3.

Christmas Memories 2008

2009-01-08T20:14:00.003-05:00

I know this is late but that last month has been so BUSY!!! We started our Christmas celebrations in Mid -December and will finish up this weekend. Even though it felt as if we were going non stop, we had a wonderful Christmas. We hope you all did too, and we wish you a happy new year! Looking forward to what 2009 brings for us all!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Twas the night before Christmas...

2008-12-24T16:00:00.001-05:00

and all through the house not a creature was stirring not even a mouse. The stockings were hung by the chimney with care , In hope that Saint Nicholas soon would be there.

May you have a magical night remembering that the greatest gift of all was given to us in a stable.
Merry Christmas!

Cookies for Santa

2008-12-23T23:36:00.002-05:00

Stuck inside with a windchill of -10

Chef Ethan cracking his egg

Are we making chicken or cookies...you decide

Tasting the batter to make sure it's not chicken

Time to make the cookies

My mix master

Putting on the final touches

Just a few more sprinkles

Mia was our "quality control" department...had to make sure everything tasted OK

Sunday it was bitterly cold here so I decided it would be a good day to make our cookies for Santa. Ethan said that he must have the right "outfit" on. He went downstairs and came up wearing his chef "outfit". Chef Ethan helped me make the cookies. He was in charge of cracking the egg and running the mixer. At one point in time Ethan didn't think we were making cookies at all....he said our dough looked like chicken???!! Mia stepped in and helped put the sprinkles on. They fought over who was going to lick the bowl. Santa is in for a surprise when he stops at our house because our cookies have more sprinkles than dough in them:) Not your weight watcher's variety!

Great Wolf Lodge

2008-12-22T23:10:00.001-05:00

Traverse City

The indoor water park

Fun fun everywhere!

Our little fish

Mia's favorite thing

Whee!

Pool time fun

This is what the outside looked like from the water park. (It was 84 degrees inside:)

Lights & decorations everywhere

A beautiful winter wonderland

More Christmas decorations

Peek a boo....I see you

Ethan working on his degree from the North Pole University

Ethan giving bear hugs

Steve & his princess

Mailing letters to Santa

It's snowing inside

The Arctic clipper that came through the lodge three times a day

Our little elf

Trying to catch "snowflakes" on her tongue

Waiting for the snow to fall

Our snow princess

Let it snow!

How did they get that snow in here?

Can you say EXHAUSTED?

After story time Ethan & Mia thought they would sleep here

Family Fun!

Ethan's bedtime snack- chocolate covered marshmallows on a stick (with sprinkles of course!)

We were on vacation Dec 7-13 and wanted to get away. Most people go south to sunny weather but we headed to Traverse City, Michigan and the snow to stay at Great Wolf Lodge. We had never been there before and didn't know what to expect. When you entered the lobby it felt as if you were in a winter wonderland with Christmas decorations everywhere.

We decided to go to Great Wolf Lodge because of the indoor water park and were surprised by all the other activities they offer. In the evenings at 8 & 9 they have story time. We would get into our jammies (well everyone except Steve) and head down to the lobby. There would be a show and then a staff member would read a book. We would sing Christmas songs and then it would "snow" inside the lobby. (The snow was actually bubbles). During the day they offered many activities that revolved around Christmas & the North Pole. Ethan & Mia graduated from the North Pole University and became honorary elves. They even have an interactive scavenger hunt throughout the lodge. While we were there they did get about 14 inches of snow. We didn't mind because we were inside having a blast. While we never had been there before we already are looking forward to going back!

Ethan Calls Santa

2008-12-19T23:50:00.004-05:00

Yesterday we had a very interesting thing happen at our house. Amy was out and about when she got a phone call from work that she needed to come in. She tried to call home but it was busy. She finshed her shopping and tried to call home...again it was busy. When she came in the house she saw there was a message on the answering machine. She listened to it and realized she had to call her boss. Amy picked up the phone to call but there was no dial tone. Not questioning anything yet she made sure the downstairs phones were on the chargers and plugged in. The phone still had no dial tone. But what Amy heard was a little voice on the other end. The voice called out, "Santa...is that you?". Puzzled Amy said hello. The little voice called out again.."Mama what are you doing on the phone?". Upon further investigation it seems as if Ethan snuck out of bed during nap time and got a hold of the phone in our room and was trying to call Santa. He was hidden under our covers. We are not sure if he actually called anyone (I guess the phone bill will answer that). Ethan said he forgot to ask Santa for something.... a boat that can't float (from the land of misfit toys). It was so adorable! Kids do say the darnedest things:)

Christmas Greetings

2008-12-18T23:15:00.000-05:00

Happy Holidays and may God bless you in the new year!

ABC

2008-12-12T01:36:00.001-05:00

Mia has recently started singing. She tries so hard to sing her ABC's and Jesus Loves Me. Somehow she always forgets a few words and ends up making up songs. She is quite the performer!

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Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

The Lights Before Christmas

2008-12-08T00:10:00.001-05:00

Scott & Sarah look at the lights through their 3D glasses

Bundling Mia's hands up

Pa & his kiddo

Mia thought she would get out and walk. She got two steps before she decided she had had enough and ended up on Daddy's shoulders.

Lights, lights, everywhere

Yeah! We get to ride the merry go round!

The Saturday after Thanksgiving we went to the Lights before Christmas at the zoo with Amy's family. It was COLD, COLD, COLD. We all were bundled up so all was well. Miss Mia however was afraid to put her mittens on because she thought her hand would disappear. Every time we would put a mitten on she would ask where her hand went then take it off. We finally gave up and wrapped her hands in blankets. The lights were beautiful and it helped get us all in the Christmas mood. Before we left Sarah & Scott took Ethan & Mia for a ride on the merry go round. We all had a great time but were glad to get home & have some hot chocolate!

Thanksgiving

2008-12-04T21:51:00.012-05:00

Our little turkey

Swinging with Auntie Sarah

Gobble gobble

Spinning on the swing getting dizzy

The table set ready to eat our Thanksgiving dinner

Ethan modeling his turkey hat he made at preschool

Yum pumpkin pie

Forget silverware....let me just dig in

Mollie skipped the pie and went straight for the ready whip

Mac playing with his Lego's

Mia in food coma

Gram

What a motley crew. Don't you just love Ethan's scrunched nose and Mia's face

They only picture that everyone was looking at the camera. Ethan, Mollie, Mac, Mia & Tommy Joe

Tommy Joe really liked Mia's turkey bow

Gram & all of her great grand kids

Gram & her girls

Gram & daughter - in - laws

Gram & Her sons

We hope that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Unfortunately Steve had to work until 5:oopm:( We got up and all had breakfast together before he had to leave. Amy, Ethan & Mia found their spots to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. It is a family tradition (at least for Amy...in Canada they don't have thanksgiving day parades) and Ethan & Mia love watching the marching bands. Ethan had his cymbals out banging away. Mia's instrument of choice was the maracas. After the parade we went to Amy's parents house for Thanksgiving dinner. Ethan & Mia had a ball playing with Uncle Scott & Auntie Sarah before dinner. We had a wonderful dinner complete with all the fixings. After pumpkin pie all of the cousins decided they were going to put on a "Dancing with the Stars" show for us. Mollie had Mia's blanket and was using it as a cape doing the pasa doble. After the show we tried to get some family pictures before everyone headed home. It was a wonderful day to reflect on what we are really thankful for. We realize how blessed we are to have our children home with us. Our God is so good and we are so thankful for everything he gives us.

Thomas, Elmo, and the Rockettes

2008-11-22T09:01:00.012-05:00

One CRAZY TRAIN!!!

Pin the number on Thomas

Spinning, spinning, spinning

Ethan, Sammy & Sir Tophamm Hat

Wow have we had a busy but fun week! It started last Saturday. We went to Chelsea to meet Sammy, Noelle, Lane & Karen. The local library there had a day with Thomas. Lane and Steve took Noelle & Mia, while Karen & Amy took the boys to the event. When we walked in the library Ethan & Sammy were given conductor hats and tickets to go to the different stations. We went around the library to stations making crafts and playing games. At the end we got to take a train ride outside. We should have known we were in for some ride when the train that showed up was pink and the driver looked a little crazy. We pulled away from the library and nearly missed crashing into a cement flower pot. The ride continued to get more interesting. It was cold and raining / sleeting. When we were almost back to the library the driver wanted to do some figure 8's in the parking lot. Instead of a figure 8 our train ride ended by crashing into a car. No one got hurt...but boy was it an interesting ride!

Sunday after church we went to see Elmo. Ethan and Mia were mesmerized with the show. Of course Mia's favorites were Elmo & Ernie. Ethan liked Big Bird. Amy had hit the dollar section at Target before we went and found $1 Elmo books so we didn't have to buy $20.00 books there:)

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Last night Amy & her parents took Ethan to see the Rockettes Christmas Spectacular. WOW, WOW, WOW!!! The show was something else!!! It is all new for this year and can't compare to shows that we've seen in the past. They have new numbers but kept some of our favorites. Ethan loved the wooden soldier routine. Our favorite part was the ending where they do a live nativity scene while reading the Christmas story. If you have a chance to see the production this year go see it. You won't be sorry! We plan on taking the whole family next year, we think Mia will be ready then:)

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Adios Warm Weather

2008-11-14T23:14:00.001-05:00

These were pictures from one of our walks in September. I just never got around to posting them. (I am a blog slacker...I know) Ethan finally has mastered riding his bike and can pedal on his own. He would lead our parade around the neighborhood. Mia would hang a purse on her stroller to pick up "treasures" along the way. I am afraid that the cold weather is here to stay and we will have to wait until spring to take another walk. Oh well....we'll have fun in the snow in the meantime:)

Cake as sweet as Noelle

2008-11-11T00:12:00.001-05:00

These were taken when we first met Noelle in September. What can we say...we had a SWEET day and met a sweet girl! Congrats Lane & Karen, welcome home Noelle! (Yes Miss Noelle is having some coffee with her cake:)

More Fall Fun...Warning Picture Overload

2008-10-30T23:08:00.001-04:00

Sweet Noelle in awe of all the pumpkins

Ethan counting playing hide & seek while we were trying to take pictures

Mia not wanting any part of pictures today

Tough man Sammy standing on the pumpkins

Sammy, Karen & Noelle

Sammy is King of the pumpkin patch

Sammy & Noelle

Another attempt at a picture

Sammy & Ethan play leap frog over the pumpkins

Noelle got a bag of popcorn and couldn't eat it fast enough

This is good stuff!

Noelle modeling her new glasses

Ethan making a "thunderstorm of straw"

Miss Mia having fun

The boys thought they could use their muscles to move the big pumpkins

Ethan's frowny face when he realizes they can't budge the pumpkins

My handsome boy

The girls riding on the pumpkin train

Yes I still have my popcorn

Mia looking "spooktacular"

Get that camera out of my face please Mama

Mama got caught in one of Ethan's thunderstorms

Having fun in the straw

Ethan & Sammy make another thunderstorm of straw

The girls decide they are going to make their own storms

I know you are getting tired of pumpkin patch pictures but it is all that we have been doing lately. Last weekend Lane, Karen, Sammy & Noelle came for a visit. (Noelle just recently came home from Guatemala and is the same age a Mia) Karen & Amy went to an all day scrapbook event while the guys watched the kids. Sunday the guys went fishing while the girls watched the kids. Sunday Amy & Karen took the kids to a pumpkin farm to let them have some fun. Boy did we have fun! We played hide & seek in the big pumpkins, rode the pumpkin train, and played in the straw. When the guys came home Steve cleaned the fish and we cooked it up for dinner. The kids got along so well we know we will be doing things like this again!

Holiday Photo Shoot First Pics

2008-10-26T17:20:00.003-04:00

Amy took Ethan & Mia to get holiday pictures taken Saturday. We decided to go for nontraditional pictures this year. We went to the same photographer who took our celebrate adoption pictures (Studio Suzanne). Of course Miss Mia didn't want anything to do with the pictures and I don't think we got any of the two of them together:( Oh well maybe next year! Here is a sneak peak at the proofs. Once we get the rest we will post them.

First Field Trip of the Year

2008-10-24T12:33:00.014-04:00

Ethan & Mama picking and apples

Mia found a nice one

Playing in the straw....his favorite part of the day:)

Having fun with baby in the straw

Look at me, Daddy, I can get messy too!!

Trying to get smiles but no luck:(

Hiding & Seeking

How messy can we get???

Today Ethan had his first field trip for the year. We went to a local apple orchard for the morning. It was cold and a bit breezy, but we bundled everyone up and had a great time. We first went on a hayride out to the orchard. The tractor stopped and we got to pick some apples. Then we saw the pumpkin patch and bee farm. When the ride was over we were able to watch how apple cider is made. Then we had fresh doughnuts (they were still warm...oh so yummy!) and apple cider. On the way out we found the straw pile and Ethan & Mia had a ball playing in it. They would bury themselves and play hide and seek in it. We came home covered in straw but had a great time!

Fall is here!

2008-10-19T14:46:00.012-04:00

Fall Beauty

Pumpkin time

Now which one should we pick?

Chillin out on a pumkpin

Catch me Mama

Burping baby

Baby & Mia in the wheelbarrel

Standing on the pumpkins

How many pumpkins tall are we?

Say cheese

Look at the straw

We stopped by a pumpkin stand after we picked Ethan up from school on Friday. Ethan & Mia had a blast looking at the pumpkins and running through the straw. The trees looked beautiful and the air was crisp & cool. Fall is here and we are loving it!!!

A Fishing Family

2008-10-18T00:30:00.001-04:00

A few weeks ago Steve decided it was time to take Ethan fishing in the "big" boat. I thought that Ethan would enjoy spending the day with his Daddy catching some fish. Steve got Ethan up at 6:00am and they headed to Port Clinton, OH. They went fishing on the walk on charter "Sassy Sal". Ethan did very well and enjoyed it so much that his leapster didn't even come out for entertainment! The boat left at 8:00am and came in at 3:00pm. I was nervous that the trip was so long. But he had a ball. In fact he even caught some fish (perch to be exact). On the ride in he did fall asleep in Steve's lap but who can blame him. I think there will be many more fishing trips in the future for the two of them!! I pray that they continue to go this well!

Halloween in Greenfield Village

2008-10-15T00:10:00.002-04:00

Pirate Ethan

Miss Mia as Marie

Mia's costume is so big she had to lean back in the stroller to fit in it:)

The 1st of the pumpkins we saw...799 to go!

The pumpkin headed scarecrow in the field..Yes that is the moon in the sky it was such a beautiful fall night!

This is blurry but I thought this was a cool pumpkin

Pirate pumpkins

The Black Pearl

Pumpkins pumpkins everywhere!

Look they even carved boogers in this pumpkin's nose!

Ethan and the pirate we found

Mia got tired if her hat after awhile...so we HAD to put the halloween bow back in her hair:)

I loved all of the glowing pumpkins

Fall Family Fun!

Friday night we went to Greenfield Village for trick or treating. Last year was the first year we went and we were so impressed we decideed to make it an annual event. 800 pumpkins are hand carved then lined on a mile path that you walk down to trick or treat like they did in the early days. The weather this year was MUCH better than last. (Last year was in the 30s) So we were able to look around more. No two pumpkins were carved the same. Ethan & Mia had fun picking out their favorites. They were supposed to go as pirates but Mia decided at the last minute she didn't want to wear her costume. Instead she wanted to be a cat. We brought her costume out from last year and it still fit so Marie the cat she was. The moon was out and it was a picture perfect fall night. The kids came home with lots of treats, one stand was even giving away beanie babies, and now they can't wait for Halloween to come!

Guess what??!!

2008-10-10T01:50:00.006-04:00

Look who is a BIG girl now!!! NO MORE DIAPERS!!! YEAH!!! We just sat Mia on the potty one day and that was it! She told us when she had to go from then on. We do have accidents every now & then but she doesn't wear diapers during the day anymore. We are so excited for her but sad because we realize she is growing up too fast!

What Not To Wear

2008-09-20T01:25:00.002-04:00

We had come home from Target and had just bought Halloween wear. Mia insisted that she put hers on. Then she found her pink cowboy boots. She thought she was something else and just pranced around the house. I think the bling from her shirt is taking away from her fabulous shoes. As Stacy & Clinton from what not to wear would say....I think we have a fashion emergency!

Stitches - Now with Pictures

2008-09-15T23:38:00.005-04:00

Yes we have had our first round of stitches here today. We had always thought that our fearless child Mia would be the one to get them first, but Ethan proved us wrong. Ethan split his forehead open on the corner of a doorframe at the baby sitter's house. He hit it so hard that he took a chunk of drywall from the wall. Thankfully Amy was still there and saw it happen. There was blood everywhere but Ethan calmed down relatively quickly. Amy who has never done well with blood, proceeded to vomit and almost passed out. After a trip to the ER and 6 stitches, Ethan was back to himself in no time. Ethan was a real trooper, he even took a nap while they were putting the stitches in! When we came home he wanted to run around outside and play hide and seek. It seemed to bother Mama much more than Ethan. It was quite a day and we are exhausted from this unexpected excitement. We pray that we never have this much excitement again!

A Day at the Farm

2008-09-07T00:53:00.002-04:00

Steve's Grandma & Grandpa have had their farm in the family for more than 100 years

The Ciliska farm

Grandma Thelma & Grandpa Charlie take Ethan to show him the new tractor

Grandpa Charlie teaches Ethan how to steer

What a ride!

Is there a horn on this thing??

Checking on the bunnies

Grandma Thelma helps Mia swing

Look how high I can go Mama!

Alright, when can I have a turn?

Grandpa Charlie

Grandma Thelma

Ethan & Grandpa Charlie

Going for more tractor rides

Playing hide & seek

Sword fights

The Ciliska pirates ..Matthew & Ryan

Where the treasure be matey??

We found the treasure

Ryan playing with Mia's toys

This is what happens when you eat too many Timbits

Cousins....Brittany, Ethan & Ryan

Cousins...Mathew, Ryan & Ethan

Mia & Aunt Joan deep in conversation

Mia running around

Grandma Thelma & Grandpa Charlie with most of the grandkids

Matthew

Ryan & Ethan playing hide & seek

Brittany

The serious farmer in Ethan comes out

Grandma Carol lovin on Ethan

We had such a beautiful sunset

Then the moon came out...a beautiful sight to end such a fun day!

A few fridays ago we went to Canada to visit Steve's Grandma & Grandpa. Grandma Thelma & Grandpa Charlie live on a farm that has been farmed in the family for over 100 years. Ethan & Mia had so much fun running around the farm. Grandpa Charlie recently won a brand new tractor and loved showing it off to Ethan. We were also able to visit with Grandma Carol, Aunt Joan & Uncle Mel, our niece Brittany, our cousins Collette & Brian and their boys Matthew & Ryan. We had a barbecue and played alot of hide and seek. Aunt Joan even hid a few things so the " pirates " could go on a treasure hunt. We also made sure to buy a box of Timbits ( very delicious donut hole type things) from Tim Horton's ( a very yummy Canadian donut chain) because they are a tradition for Ethan and Grandpa Charlie to share them every time they are together! I think Steve's Canadian roots definitely has influenced both Ethan and Mia when it comes to Timbits! They can't get enough of them! Everyone had such a great time. We hope we will be able to do it all again real soon.

Family Photos

2008-08-20T23:38:00.001-04:00

We had our pictures taken while we were down there. These are a sample of the results. I think they turned out pretty well! (Ignore my white legs:) My favorites are of the kids playing on the beach. Now we have to pick which ones we want to get. Decisions, decisions!

Cocoa Beach

2008-08-19T21:58:00.007-04:00

Arriving at the airport ready for vacation to begin!

Our little fish

Playing on the beach

Beach bum

Making sand castles

Mia & Pa

Sitting on the edge "dipping" her toes

Our diva

Snack time

We went to Cocoa Beach, FL August 2-9 for our yearly family trip with Amy's family. For 1 week Grammy, Pa, Auntie Sarah & Uncle Scott and us all lived together in a three bedroom condo. Suprisingly we all got along beautifully. Most of the week was spent playing in the pool or on the beach. Mia again was very skeptical with the pool and wanted to sit on the edge or the first step. She had a fit if you tried to hold her and bring her in the pool. The beach was a different story. She loved the sand and salt water (strange I know). By the end of the week we had her swimming in the pool by herself. So what changed things you ask?? A cabbage patch doll that could go in the water. Once she saw that her baby could swim she wanted to imitate her too. (Who would have thought?!) Ethan of course loved both the beach and the pool and decided he was too big for swimmies. At the end of the week he swam the length of the pool twice by himself.

Beside fun in the sun we did go to Sea World and Steve was able to go fishing twice. We had a great time and Ethan has started his countdown for next year's trip:) I'll post the pictures over the next few days because there are quite a lot!

Afternoon Tea

2008-08-10T22:13:00.005-04:00

Last week we were in Cocoa Beach, Florida on vacation...but that story & those pictures will come later:) Today we played outside in buckets of water and had a tea party. Ethan & Mia can make some stellar tea & coffee...and their teacakes aren't half bad either!

Future Makeup Artist?

2008-08-07T00:42:00.002-04:00

Friday I was upstairs getting myself & Mia ready. This is what I came down to. Ethan said he had found a marker to make himself up like a pirate. I asked him why he did that. He said that on the pirate ship in Florida they colored his face with paint. He thought he could "paint" his face at home with a marker. All I could do was laugh. And yes it was a washable marker:)

Wormy Wednesday

2008-08-02T22:20:00.001-04:00

The catch of the day

A few Wednesdays ago Steve took the Ethan & Mia to Maumee Bay State Park while Amy was at work for a picnic and to fish. The picnic went fine but when it came to fishing the kids had different plans. Ethan did finally catch his first fish and hew was SO excited but the thing that made the evening was the worms. Mia was the brave one. She had no fears with playing and touching them. In fact she even came close to giving one a kiss. Ethan was afraid, but once he let Mia "try them" he was fine. They had such a great time and now want to go fishing again!

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

July 4th Fun...a Little Late

2008-07-30T23:52:00.007-04:00

Could we get any more bows in her hair??

Swinging fun

Smiling Sammy:)

Posing for the camera

Looking at the clouds

At the cascades

The "World Famous Cascades"

Sparkler Fun

Yes we know this post is over due but better late than never right?? We had a star spangled banner day July 4th. To start the morning Amy & Mia went to a birthday to celebrate Jessica's 2nd birthday. (Amy forgot the camera so no pics:( Jessica was also adopted from Guatemala and her birthday is 9 days later than Mia's. It was Jessica's first birthday party here in America so it was extra special. After the party we headed to Jackson to visit the Nickols family, who right now are in Guatemala picking up their beautiful daughter Noel. For dinner we headed to a Mexican restaurant to eat. It was so yummy and we were stuffed when we walked out of there! At dusk we headed to the world famous cascades to watch the show. Ethan & Sammy had a ball climbing the stairs then running down the hill. We watched the show then lit some sparklers. On the way home the kids slept...they were pooped...we were too but had a great day!

Pirates for the Day

2008-07-12T08:15:00.002-04:00

Friday we drove an hour north to Clearwater to become pirates for the day. This was another suprise for Ethan. When he saw the pirate ship his face just lit up and he was so excited. For two hours we set sail on the Pirate's Ransom and became pirates. It was hot but we had a GREAT time being scallywags. Mia had a little attitude that day so we named her Sassy Sal the pirate. The crew of the ship did a great job in making the kids feel like they were really pirates in search of treasure. They had water gun fights, told stories, painted faces, and danced a jig. Ethan still has not stopped talking about it! I would HIGHLY reccomend this to any one who is going to in the Clearwater area. We were able to have a great time together as a family making many memories.

More Vacation Fun

2008-07-11T23:00:00.001-04:00

Ethan thought this was King Triton from the little Mermaid. He asked him is he had seen Ariel

Family photo

Family fun!

Florida fun!!

Loving playing in the sand

Sassy Mia

Sand Sculptor

Helping bury Ethan

Sand kisses

Beach bum

My handsome boy

Cheese

Our finished masterpiece...complete with cherry on top

Where did Ethan go???

These are more random shots of our vacation. Enjoy!

Mia Turn's Two - Mermaid Style

2008-07-10T22:39:00.001-04:00

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The Birthday Girl

What a Diva!

Opening her card

Look a new baby!

Loving Anenome

Playing with her "diaper bag"

Giving some lovin'

Besos

Playing Peek a boo

Let's go I'm ready

Getting ready for dinner

A VERY Happy Birthday Girl!

Eating ice cream with Daddy

We stopped back to get Coral.....Anenome's sister
Two mermaids for a girl that's two!

We celebrated Mia's 2nd birthday on June 25 while on vacation. In the morning we swam in the pool and played at the beach. During nap time Amy went out to get a present for the birthday girl. She ended up finding a birthday headband/crown and a stuffed mermaid doll. When Mia woke up she put on the crown and thought she was a princess. She loved her mermaid (AKA Anenome) and would not part with her after she came out of the bag. She used the bag Anenome came is as a purse/diaper bag for her new baby and had such a fun time playing Mommy. We went to dinner and then had some ice cream.

Beautiful Sunsets

2008-07-10T08:44:00.002-04:00

Being on the Gulf side of Florida we saw beautiful sunsets in the evening when

Mother Nature cooperated . After dinner we would swim at the pool then find a spot on the beach to watch the sunset. Ethan & Mia would start playing in the sand while we watched the sun go down. It was such a great way to end the day! One night we had the most spectacular lightning storm. Steve was able to take a picture of the lightning.