Pullem Family Page

Post-Show Pictures

2009-05-21T21:11:00.003-05:00

Here are some pictures from after the recital. Although it was a long night (at the end of a long week) it was well worth it!

This is one of my favorite images from the whole week. Muffin took this after the ballet was over, before they changed out of their costumes; I'm glad she did!

It's a tradition for family & friends to show appreciation to their dancers by giving them flowers after the show. As you can see by their armloads-full, we all thought Jordi, Emily, & Caroline did a tremendous job!

Don't you love the marquee lights in the background? Muffin took this one, too. Luckily for us, she knows all the key recital night shots!

Recital Night 2009

2009-05-20T21:24:00.003-05:00

What a night! Although this was Jordi's third recital, it was a milestone for little sister Caroline as it was her very first one, which made it an even more special night for the whole family.

We began with makeup at Sephora, which we were invited to be part of thanks to one of the other moms in Jordi's class being employed there.

Although I'm not a trained professional, Caroline still seems to think that I did a good job of putting on her make-up. I didn't want her to feel left out, so I put her make-up on while we were waiting for her big sis!

I managed to take this one of Caroline backstage as she waited with her class to go on as a "Summer Daisies." (She's not just smiling for the camera, either - she was very excited and had that big grin on her face all night!)

Here's Jordi on stage during her "Ladybug" number, the first of her two roles that night. By the way, I'd like to thank Richard Ford for taking this picture and the next; way to go finding the perfect setting for taking ballet pictures in the dark!

We call this picture "Action Jordi," for obvious reasons! Richard took this during the tumbling number, set to the tune of "Shake, Rattle, & Roll." It was a high-energy, crowd-pleasing number!

Next post: post-recital pictures of pretty girls holding armloads of flowers! Stay tuned!

Rehearsals at the Paramount

2009-05-18T20:30:00.005-05:00

Last week, the June Conn School of Ballet held it's annual recital. In preparation for that, we had two nights of rehearsals. It was tiring, to be sure, but it was all worth it in the end!

Here's Jordi in her tumbling costume. Their routine was set to the tune "Shake, Rattle, and Roll," and they all did a great job shaking their fringes!

Since Caroline was only in the ballet portion of the show, she had a chance to spectate during the Divertissment portion of the show. Caroline found a bird's eye view in a mezzanine box seat and seemed to thoroughly enjoy watching all the routines!

What better way to pass the time than snapping a mother/daughter self-portrait? It took a few tries, but we finally got a keeper!

More pictures next time from the Big Show!

Derby Luncheon

2009-05-11T20:21:00.003-05:00

A couple weeks ago, on the first Sunday in May, we had a wonderful Derby-themed luncheon after church, which was a perfect opportunity for me to dress the girls in their "horsey" attire:

After all, you can't be born & raised in Kentucky and not have horse dresses and jewelry! (Thank you to Grandma Henri for sewing the dresses and to Grandma Dee-Dee for the horse necklaces from Ocala!)

By the way, click here for a recipe for a "freshly minted" Derby punch. It's alcohol-free & unbelievably delicious! (yes, it can be spiked for those who wish to do so!)

Happy Birthday, Little Emily!

2009-05-04T20:56:00.002-05:00

On Saturday, the girls were invited to one of their favorite activities: a birthday party!

Jordi's oldest friend, Emily, was the guest of honor as she recently turned six. She had a pizza party at Mr. Gatti's, complete with gifts, games, & cake.

After we were done eating & watching the birthday girl open her gifts, it was time to hit the game room. Here's Caroline, racking up the points at bowling!

The more you play, the more tickets you get; here's Jordi showing off some of her winnings. At the end of the party, she redeemed her tickets for some awesome kid stuff: a whistle & candy bracelet!

Easter 2009

2009-04-22T18:52:00.003-05:00

Although Easter was a week and a half ago, I wanted to share some pictures of the girls from the day:

Besides church, Easter morning means candy! Like all kids, the girls were eager to discover what the Easter Bunny had put into their baskets. This year, there was more than just chocolate & jelly beans... he included sunglasses, too!

Of course, the kids were called upon to sing for the Easter service. This is how we saw Caroline coming down the aisle; she said that she liked her new sunglasses so much that she wanted to keep them on during church, too!

I didn't know what to make of this look, but Chris said that it okay because it suited her. Even the youth leader, when I asked her why she didn't make her remove them, said "That's just Caroline!" Indeed!

I can tell Jordi's growing up because she wasn't shy at all in front of the congregation, especially here, during singing & dancing to one of my personal favorites, "Lord of the Dance"!

Although the weather was cool & breezy, there was lots of sunshine on Easter Sunday. Filtering through the leaves, it made for pretty lighting for our cousins picture: Emily Ford (age 12), Jordi, Caroline, & Richard Ford (age 14).

Ballet Recital Pictures

2009-04-19T12:36:00.004-05:00

In anticipation of next month's annual June Conn recital, the ballet dancers had their pictures taken last weekend. This is always a fun (albeit hectic!) day, but even more so this year as it was Caroline's first time!

Isn't she lovely in her ballet costume, hair-do, and make-up? The ballet this year is "The Four Seasons," and Caroline's class are "Summer Daisies." This was quite a milestone for our little one - she really enjoyed being dressed up like her sister & all the other "big" girls!

Jordi & her classmates are Ladybugs. These costumes are perfectly suited for this spirited group of girls - bright & sassy! This picture was taken by my good friend, Bev; her daughter, Emily, is next to Jordi on the right. She always has her camera with her and always takes lots of great pictures. Thanks again, Bev, for another great photo!

Daffodils 2009

2009-04-18T14:38:00.002-05:00

Each year, for a couple weeks in late March/early April, one side of our park is a carpet of yellow & white daffodils. It's become one of my favorite harbingers of spring! So, before we left for our trip to Louisiana, Nana took the girls down there to take some pictures amongst the pretty flowers:

Aren't they cute? I look forward to it every year!

Louisiana Pics Now Online

2009-04-14T21:41:00.004-05:00

I don't have time for a proper posting tonight, but if you'd like to see all the rest of the pictures from our Louisiana trip, click here to view them on Shutterfly. There's quite a few, so go grab a coffee & enjoy!

Day Four, Part One: Hello, Nottoway!

2009-04-11T14:40:00.008-05:00

Deb's wedding wasn't until Saturday evening, so we had plenty of time to get ready during the day before leaving Slidell. This was a good thing, since all us girls had quite a lot of primping to do!

I think that, besides wearing high-heeled shoes, what the girls were most excited about was getting to wear nail polish on their fingers & toes. Luckily for me, cousin Emily (age 14) was willing to jump in and get the job done. She was even kind enough to let the girls choose their polishes from her own personal supply. Painting those teeny-tiny nails, not to mention getting them to sit still for the requisite drying time, is not as simple as you might think, but Emily hung in there and did a great job!

The wedding was held at Nottoway, the largest remaining antebellum plantation in the South. Here's Jordi, posing on one of the two curved granite staircases leading up to the front entrance. (Please note that my pictures do not do justice to the grandeur & elegance of this historical place. If you weren't there to see it for yourself, I encourage you to click on the link to their website to get a better feel for the tremendous scope of history & beauty to be found there!)

This was the view from our room. That's right, we stayed in one of the rooms in the mansion! It was so elegant and incredible, like stepping back in time!

Here's Caroline, enjoying the balcony outside our room. Access to this balcony was through the floor-to-ceiling window - the bottom sash raises up high enough so that you can just walk right through to the outside! Ingenious!

We took this picture Sunday morning while standing atop the levee separating the Mississippi River from the plantation. Even in the morning dampness and fog, it's still beautiful!

Up next, pictures from the ceremony & reception!

Day Three, Part Two

2009-04-10T13:00:00.004-05:00

After our morning in New Orleans, we travelled to cousin Patti's house in Slidell. She & her family were nice enough to offer us a place to stay and visit with them on the day before the wedding.

Here's Donna & Patti on Patti's awesome front porch. It had been quite a while since we seen the Oakman clan. In fact, the last time we were all together was for another wedding - when Chris & I got married in 2002!

The girls seemed to really enjoy meeting & spending time with their second cousins. Here's a picture of Chris (age 12) helping Caroline get online to play some games on nickjr.com.

Grandma Henri & Aunt Edie even came over for awhile to make it even more of a family reunion! It was great to be able to spend time catching up with everyone. But this was just a warm-up for the big event - next up, pictures from the wedding day!

Day Three, Part One

2009-04-07T20:44:00.003-05:00

Friday morning, we got out early to enjoy our last few hours in the Big Easy before heading to Slidell to visit Cousin Patti & her family.

I took this picture of the girls in the lobby of our hotel (which was the JW Sheraton, by the way.) This was only one of four murals in a little circular lobby on the way to the Canal Street entrance.

Instead of walking, we decided to take an alternate mode of transportation back to Cafe Du Monde. The girls were very excited about riding on the red trolley!

Mmmm... beignets! Even though we'd just had some for dessert about 12 hours earlier, they were just as delicious for breakfast!

Here are the girls, posing in Jackson Square, a very picturesque & historic park right across from Cafe Du Monde.

This square is surrounded by artists selling their wares. (It was only about 9 am when we were there, and it was already about half full!) I ended up purchasing one of the small square trolley car paintings from this artist to commemorate our time in New Orleans!

After this, we checked out of our hotel and drove to Cousin Patti's house. Check out our visit in "Day Three, Part Two," coming up next!

Day Two: Arriving in New Orleans

2009-04-06T20:57:00.006-05:00

We started Day 2 of our trip in Birmingham, Alabama. After getting up early and enjoying a dip in the hotel pool, we were ready to get going. On our way out of town, we found a great place to eat breakfast:

The Original Pancake House! The food was fantastic; Chris had buckwheat pancakes, I had a Dutch Baby, and the girls split an order of peanut butter chocolate chip pancakes. Yummy!

This is how the girls spend the bulk of their time in the car on our second day: watching DVDs of their favorite cartoons. We only had about five hours to go to reach our destination..

New Orleans! Here we are on Canal Street, just outside of our hotel. We were on our way to the French Quarter for dinner. Our concierge recommended, Remoulade, a casual Cajun restaurant on Bourbon Street, so that's where we went. I had Jambalaya and Chris tried the Natchitoches Meat Pies - both were great!

We ended our evening - where else? - Cafe Du Monde for some of their famous beignets & cafe au lait.

If you've never had a beignet, this picture of Jordi is an excellent depiction of how wonderful they are. What a great way to end a great day!

Day One: We're Off to Louisiana!

2009-04-05T07:23:00.005-05:00

For about six months, we've been planning a trip to Louisiana for my cousin Deb's wedding. So, we left home after work on Wednesday, headed for Dixie!

As we planned on being in the car for about 8 hours, we planned ahead and put the girls in the pajamas from the get-go. Chris set up the van with pillows, stuffed animals, and DVD players; don't they look comfy?

I took this picture about 10 pm. They're out cold! They slept soundly until we arrived at our first pit stop, Birmingham, Alabama, at about 1 in the morning.

Happy Birthdays in March

2009-03-30T22:17:00.002-05:00

Yikes! Has it really been almost two months since my last posting?! Time to get back on track!

March is a big month for birthdays in the Pullem family. The party gets started on the 12th with Chris' birthday. This year, there was no ambiguity... there it is, right on top of the cake: 39 big ones!

Then, one week later, on the 19th, we get to celebrate again, this time with Nana. Yay - more cake! What a great month!! Happy Birthday, everyone!

Happy Birthday, Richard!

2009-02-09T19:16:00.002-05:00

Thanks to a little help from my sister, Renee (who kindly mailed it to us from Colorado), we were able to give Big Richard something he really wanted for his birthday, which was back on January 29.

Here he is opening the box... Hmmm, aren't you curious what it is? After all, what could the man who has everything possibly want for his birthday??

Yay! It's a Kentucky-blue, as-seen-on-tv, Snuggie! Woo hoo!

I feel Caroline's outfit from that day warrants its own picture. Isn't it something? She had spent the day at Muffin's house, which (as I've mentioned before) is full of things little girls love, like costumes. Caroline wore the whole ensemble - mermaid costume, headband with veil & earrings - all day and evening, and loved every minute of it. (Don't you wish you could be so unselfconscious?)

Time to Catch Up!

2009-01-25T16:37:00.005-05:00

I knew that it had been awhile since my last post, but a month? Geez, that's too long! I've got some serious catching up to do, so let me get started...

Since my last post was Christmas Eve, let me start by sharing some pictures from Christmas Day:

One of Jordi's favorite gifts was an Easy Bake Oven from Santa. She didn't have much on her list, and that was at the top, so I'm glad Santa came through!

Both Jordi & Caroline had been asking for it since last Christmas, so Uncle Al did real good by giving each girl her very own Moon Sand gift. (Warning to parents reading this blog: it's a mess!)

Since Jordi got one for her birthday, Caroline has been wishing for her own Leapster. Luckily, Nana & Grandad got her one for Christmas! In this picture, Jordi is showing Caroline how to play her new game.

One of our favorite Christmas traditions is the annual gathering of friends at the Elswick home on Christmas Night. Don't you just love Sherri's new pink feather tree? I thought it was so neat that I took a picture of it!

So, that's it for Christmas pictures. Things have slowed down considerably this month (which is a good thing!) We're back in our routine, which has been interrupted only occasionally by snow. I took this picture a couple weeks ago on January 8th:

They both love to play in the snow, Caroline especially. Given the forecast for our area over the next few days, they will probably be doing a lot more of it!

Christmas Eve 2008

2008-12-27T16:17:00.005-05:00

It took awhile to go through all the many pictures from the past week, but I'm finally ready to post some images from Christmas, starting with Christmas Eve:

Our holiday always officially kicks off with the 5 o'clock service at Calvary Church. This year, "St. Nicholas" came to visit the children. (The girls decided to sit on the floor, so, unfortunately, I couldn't get them in the picture!)

The church always looks so lovely with all the poinsettias & greenery everywhere. It was a wonderful backdrop for Caroline's Christmas outfit!

After church, we headed over to the Ford's for the Lewis Family Christmas party. It's always a good idea to get the annual cousins' picture out of the way as soon as possible, because you never know how long the little ones will be willing to cooperate. Front row (left to right): Caroline (3), Courtney (7), Ella (3), Emily (12), Ryan (21 months); back row: Jordi (5) and Richard (14). (Not pictured are cousins Kameron, Libby, and Lily - we missed you & your respective parents!)

Jordi was as patient as possible, waiting for the gift opening to begin. I thought she looked pretty sitting, amongst the presents by their Christmas tree!

The reason for Caroline's big grin in this picture is her footwear: Build-a-Bear slippers from cousins Kim, Kameron, & Ron! These teddy bear slippers are so neat - they actually come with changes of clothes. You can see why she's so excited!

"O Christmas Tree..

2008-12-20T12:22:00.005-05:00

..O Christmas Tree!" In the spirit of the season, I'd like to share with you this Christmas tree that Jordi painted at school this week. She's quite a wonderful artist!

Winter Wonderland of Lights 2008

2008-12-17T22:16:00.002-05:00

Today's pictures are from another one of my favorite annual Christmas traditions: Ashland's Winter Wonderland of Lights. We are lucky to have this wonderful display right in our own neighborhood of Central Park! They turn it on just before Thanksgiving and runs through the New Year.

Until now, we had only seen this year's lights from the car. But the girls & I took advantage of the mild weather on Sunday and took a walk through our park, stopping to get up close & personal with a light display every now and then!

What's a trip to the park without hot chocolate? While waiting for our turn on the trolley, the girls were very excited to each have their own hot cocoas! (except neither one will drink it until it's no longer hot!)

This is my artistic attempt; I always hope it'll turn out better than it does! But beyond that, I'd like to point out Jordi's strange pose... I wonder about her inspiration sometimes!

Finally, it was our turn to board the trolley for a ride around the park. We listened to carols the whole time, and waved & shouted "Merry Christmas!" to the many people we passed. It was fun, and I'm sure we'll be back again before too long!

Breakfast with Santa

2008-12-16T23:42:00.004-05:00

For the third year in a row, we attended one of my favorite annual Christmas traditions in Ashland (of which I have several!): Breakfast with Santa, held in the hospital cafe.

Since her success at the Nutcracker, Caroline has suddenly come into her own. As is evident in this picture, she and Santa quickly became good buddies during their time together. She definitely enjoyed her visit with Santa this year!

Jordi, on the other hand, was unwilling to get too chummy with Santa this year. In fact, she would only stand near him long enough to quickly rattle off her Christmas items and get this quick picture!

After breakfast, we stopped by the "Chocolate Church" for their annual Cookie Walk. They sell homemade baked goods by the pound, and after attending it for the second time this year, it's now added to my list of favorite holiday happenings!

Nutcracker Week, Part 2

2008-12-15T22:17:00.002-05:00

As promised, here are some more pictures from our first experience with the Nutcracker. There are so many to choose from, but these are just a few of my favorites:

The professionals took cast pictures during the final dress rehearsal. This picture was taken by my friend & fellow ballet mom, Bev. Those are our two little angels - Emily & Jordi - in the front row, second & third from the left!

We all spent a lot of time together backstage, waiting for our little ones to perform their roles. Since Jordi & I are all smiles, I'm guessing that this picture was taken in the morning during the first show!

Caroline was given a big honor by Miss Maria: presenting the flowers to the lead dancers onstage after the show. She really rose to the occasion and performed her duties very well. Here she is, presenting Clara with her bouquet; Caroline was quite impressed with this young lady!

Miss Maria even gave Caroline her very own bouquet of flowers as a reward for her efforts. This was the biggest thrill ever to Caroline! Thank you, Miss Maria!

Whew - home, at last! Despite the late hour, our little ballerina is still all smiles. I think the cup of hot chocolate may have something to do with it!

Nutcracker Week, Part 1

2008-12-08T21:16:00.006-05:00

We have just wrapped up our first experience of being part of the Ashland Youth Ballet's annual production of the Nutcracker ballet. Rehearsals started way back in October and culminated last Friday with two shows at the Paramount Theatre.

Our Nutcracker Week started on the Saturday after Thanksgiving with the annual AYB Pancake Breakfast at Applebee's. In this picture, Caroline is posing with this year's very lovely Sugar Plum Fairy, Kayla Robinette. Caroline was quite impressed with her real-life shiny costume & sparkly crown!

Besides enjoying the delicious pancakes, the girls had lots of fun just running around together, smiling for pictures whenever they were asked. You may recognize our little friend, Emily, posing with Jordi & Caroline.

Things got serious on Wednesday with the first of two dress rehearsals at the Paramount. I took this picture on Thursday night; Jordi is the sixth little angel from the left.

Of course, when you're five, there's always time for a little fun with your fellow 5 year old dancers! One payoff to all the time we spent with each other last week was that their little-girl friendships really had a chance to grow. This is Jordi with her one of her new best buddies, Wynter, keeping in character: little mice hiding under a table!

Here's three 5-year-olds: Wynter, Jordi, and Emily waiting backstage for their next role as angels. Don't they look sweet?? Well, they really are, even if they periodically drove us mothers crazy during the total of 12 hours we spent together at the Paramount last week!

Anyway, stay tuned for Part 2 of Nutcracker pictures.. it's showtime!

UK 24 - Vanderbilt 31

2008-11-17T23:01:00.003-05:00

We spent this past weekend in Lexington for the last home game of the 2008 football season. The weather was completely uncooperative: blustery cold rain and falling temperatures. By kickoff time, although the rain had stopped, the temperature was about 35 degrees with a wind chill of 25 degrees. Brrrr!

Despite the frigid weather, we managed to enjoy ourselves by bundling up, staying near the tent in proximity to the heater (note the circular orange glow in the bottom left of this picture), and eating hot chili.

Caroline was unaffected by the harsh weather, and was disinterested in eating anything except the Kentucky blue-frosted cookies!

I like this picture because it shows how bundled up we are. Thank goodness for hand warmers, long johns & snow pants!

Jordi loves using the camera, especially to take self-portraits. She's getting pretty good at it, too; here's one she took while we were tailgating!

I don't have any pictures from inside the stadium to commemorate the last game because the girls & I headed back to the Lexington house once the game started. We did well enough to hang in there for the few hours of tailgating! Anyway, another season is over... We'll miss all the good fun & great food with our football friends - but we'll be back next year!

A Visit to Boyd Orchards

2008-11-05T21:04:00.003-05:00

For the second year in a row, I had the wonderful treat of a trip to Boyd Orchards for my birthday. It was a beautiful, breezy day, full of sunshine. These pictures are a few weeks old by now, but I hope you enjoy them all the same!

What a perfect spot for a picture! In case you can't read it, it says "How Tall This Fall 2008."

The girls did lots of fun things, including taking a pony ride...

...and going down the super-long, 40 foot slide!

All in all, it was quite enjoyable. I'm already looking forward to next year's trip!

Pumpkin House 2008

2008-11-02T21:11:00.002-05:00

We missed it last fall, but today we made the trip to nearby West Virginia to view the phenomenon that is "The Great Pumpkin House":

I love this place! Each year, the owner of this lovely old house in Kenova carves & displays over 3,000 pumpkins for the enjoyment of anyone who wants to drive over and see it.

This place is truly a marvel! Chris & the girls are standing in front of a huge "orchestra" of carved pumpkin instruments which light up in time to the music.

It's such a big display that even this picture doesn't show all of it! It was so enjoyable to just stand, listen, and watch this terrific sight. (An added bonus for me that one of the songs was The 1812 Overture, which, being a Boston Pops fan, will always have a special place in my heart!)

The jack-o-lanterns just go on and on! Here we are posing in front of a pumpkin with the state of NH carved into it. I guess when you carve thousands, you eventually get around to the tiny Granite State!

Anyway, it was definitely worth the trip over there. What a local treasure!

Happy Halloween 2008

2008-10-31T20:37:00.003-05:00

Although the calendar says that today is Halloween, we actually had trick-or-treats last night. This year, Jordi decided to be an Indian - big thanks to Nana & Grandad for the accessories and to Grandma Henri for the dress - and Caroline is a cowgirl princess (Note the combination of a princess dress and pink cowboy hat with a crown on top - all her ideas!)

As becoming our custom, Dad was in charge of dispensing candy from the front porch. This year, although it's not very visible here, he's even wearing a costume! That green apron should look very familiar to most of you, so I'll just let you figure out what he's supposed to be...

One of our favorite places to visit for trick-or-treats is across Lexington Avenue to little Emily's house! She is so sweet to both girls and always has an extra special treat to put in their buckets. What a cute crew!

I love to get a picture with the jack-o-lantern! Due to Aunt Donna's influence, we actually had two giant ones this year. Aunt Donna carved the face on this one according to Jordi's specifications: triangle eyes, triangle nose, and a big smile with NO teeth (so it won't look spooky, she said).

UK 21 - Arkansas 20

2008-10-23T20:42:00.003-05:00

What a difference a week makes! This past weekend brought a complete turnaround in both the weather and the outcome of the game. Last game, we couldn't sit in the stands for how hot the sun was at game time. This time, you'll see us all in hats & gloves trying to keep warm! Welcome to fall weather in the Bluegrass!

This week, we had a special guest of honor at our tailgate: a giant cooked PIG! In honor of our Razorback opponents, we joined with our 2 neighboring tailgate groups to participate in an old fashioned pig roast. Each group provided their own sides, and we split the main course 3 ways. It was incredibly delicious!

cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dGVykjyHqCY/SQEpP1V7bnI/AAAAAAAACqs/7m8STjKWUWU/s400/101808+C+tailgates.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260531191739281010" />Here's Caroline, keeping warm while enjoying her own tailgating snack: fruit, crackers, and cheese.

After missing the last home game, we were very happy that Aaron and his girlfriend, Megan, made the trip from Indianapolis. It's one of the many reasons we enjoy football season so much - getting to see our favorite uncle so often!

Here's Chris & Jordi, keepin' the streak alive! Perhaps you remember Chris' effort to get Jordi on the jumbotron each game from last season... it's still going! I took this picture after their most recent victory. (I think that's a look of relief on Chris' face that he didn't have to hoist his 40 pound kid over his head anymore!)

As the game didn't start until 7 pm, the girls & I left shortly after halftime. It was getting really cold by then, and we were were getting pretty tired. I think I didn't warm up until the next morning! Let's hope that the last two home games in November are day games!

UK 17 - South Carolina 24

2008-10-13T21:38:00.003-05:00

This past weekend was another football Saturday in the Bluegrass. Although the outcome of the game wasn't ideal, the weather sure was; we had a glorious blue sky and loads of sunshine all day long!

This is such a great picture of the girls - too bad that half of it is so shady! It's not every day that I get both girls to smile so nicely!

This is one of my favorite vantage points from which to take a father/daughter picture. So sweet!

Once in the stadium, we girls discovered that the sun was going to be bake us to a crisp if we stayed in our seats very long. In this picture, Caroline's vainly trying to keep the sun out of her eyes..

Ahhh, sweet relief! We ladies - Nana, Susie, Megan, Aunt Donna & me - quickly got ourselves & the kids out of the hot sun. We spent the majority of the first half here on the concourse, enjoying the lovely shade & cool breezes. (We weren't alone either; there were lots of other moms & kids down there, too!)

A busy morning of tailgating sure can tucker a person out! We girls returned to the tailgate after halftime. I'll admit that I was as tired as Caroline is in this picture, and managed to catch a few zzz's, too, while I sat with her asleep in the car.

Thank goodness that next week's game is at night; I don't have the stamina for any more day games!

Dinner Cruise on the Cincinnati Belle

2008-10-09T20:29:00.002-05:00

You may remember a similar picture of Chris & I from this time last year:

Here we are posing on the deck of the Cincinnati Belle riverboat with the Ashland bridge in the background. The occasion was that we were once again invited to attend the annual meeting of the Ashland Alliance, which happens to be held - luckily! - aboard this lovely boat. It was a fantastic evening: great weather, delicious food, plus the company of many good people. I'm quite sure that we weren't the only one who had a wonderful evening!

Congratulations, Leslie & Mick!

2008-10-02T19:49:00.006-05:00

Last weekend, Mum, Donna, & I traveled to North Carolina to attend a family wedding. Cousin Leslie finally tied the knot with her long-time boyfriend, Mick! Their wedding was held at the Page-Walker Arts & History Center in Cary, NC, a charming historical building with a lovely garden & grassy area.

The ceremony was held outside under a picturesque gazebo with all the guests watching from the grassy area inside the garden square. The evening air felt wonderful, and the gardenias made it smell wonderful, too! Here's a picture of the happy couple after being introduced for the first time as "Mr. & Mrs. McCoy!"

Weddings always provide excellent opportunities for family photos. These are cousin Patti's children: Matt (12), Emily (14), Chris (12), and Molly (22). The last time I saw these good-lookin' kids was six years ago when Chris & I got married - they sure have grown up!

Speaking of growing up - look at us now! (left to right) Patti, Donna, Leslie, Deb, and Lisa. (note to Renee and Tony - where were you??!) There aren't many people that I can say I've known for my whole life; that's just one of the reasons that makes being all together so special!

And this lovely dancing lady is big reason we all feel so special when we're together - Aunt Edie, you're one-of-a-kind and we all love you!

On a lighter note, the food was fantastic! Everything was very delicious and very foodie - just check out the "horns" on this this "devil" egg!

Congratulations are due to this happy couple, too! Cousin Deb and Miguel are planning to wed in April 2009 on a plantation in Louisiana. I can't wait to see everyone again so we can pick up where we left off this past weekend!

Poage Landing Days & Grandma's Arrival

2008-09-25T21:43:00.002-05:00

This has been a busy week! Things got started last weekend with Ashland's annual Poage Landing Days. This was the first weekend since we've moved here that this festive event fell on a non-football weekend, so we really got to fully enjoy it!

Yum - carnival food! Jordi chose to have a snow cone and Caroline decided (with my help!) on the caramel apple. Boy, were they good!

Next on the agenda was the arrival of Grandma Henri. She got here on Sunday - with lots of treats for the girls, of course!

This time, she made the cutest Indian dresses for both girls so they'd have something to wear with the Indian souvenir accessories that Tim & Judy recently brought them from a trip to North Carolina. Jordi decided that she likes the way this looks and plans on being an Indian girl for Halloween this year!

Caroline liked dressing up like an Indian, too. I don't think she's fully committed to the costume for Halloween, but who cares? she's adorable!

UK 20 - Middle Tennessee 14

2008-09-19T21:27:00.003-05:00

Well, I'm almost a week late with this post, but better late than never! These pictures are from the Wildcats second home game, which happened to take place last Saturday.

Chris is carrying his tradition of getting his girls on the jumbo-tron every game. So far, so good!

Here's Caroline, enjoying a close-up look at the game with her new binoculars. Nana got each girl her own pair, and they're very pleased to be able to watch the game like the grown-ups do!

As always, there were lots of finger-lickin' snacks to be had during our time in the stands. I think Jordi was enjoying cotton candy in this picture...

Although they're almost always there with us, Uncle Al & Marty doesn't always get included in the picture taking. In fact, our Aunt Pat recently pointed out that she hadn't seen her nephew Aaron on the blog in quite awhile. So, Aunt Pat, this one's for you!

UK 38 - Norfolk State 3

2008-09-07T13:24:00.003-05:00

What a great home opener! Everything about Saturday's game was great: the weather, the friends, the food, the halftime show by the visiting team's band - not to mention the big win by the Cats! It was a wonderful way to kick off the 2008 football season!

As always, there was lots of great food at the tailgate. Here's Jordi & Caroline yukking it up while the enjoy their dinner of football food!

Of course, as far as the girls are concerned, the best treats are to be had inside the stadium. This week, the following snacks came courtesy of "Uncle" Marty: cotton candy, funnel cake, m&m's, & skittles. (Yikes! I get a stomach ache just thinking about eating all that junk!)

We got to catch up with our season-ticket-seat-neighbors, Eli & his Mom. You may remember from last year's postings that he & Jordi became big buddies over the course of last year's football season. We're looking forward to seeing them a lot more over the next couple months!

Last year it was corn hole, but here's this year's new game: Tailgate Golf! Don't ask me how it's played; I only know that flinging golf-balls-on-strings through the air is an accident waiting to happen!

We got our annual family photo out of the way early this year. We've had one taken each year since we've had children. It's becoming one of my favorite annual family traditions!

First Friday

2008-09-06T07:40:00.004-05:00

During the first week of each month, we look forward to attending one of our favorite, regularly-scheduled, local events: First Friday at the Pendleton Arts Center!

This month, there was lots going on outside the Pendleton, including tennis demonstrations, courtesy of the Ashland Tennis Center.

Here's Caroline getting a lesson from one of Chris' high school classmates, Chris Meinfelter. They got re-acquainted during last weekend's Class of '88 reunion. Not only was it was nice to see him again so soon, but it was great to watch him have such great rapport with the girls!

After the tennis demo and a quick tour through the studios inside the Pendleton, it was time to head back outside for some live music back & McDonald's dinner alfresco!

This weekend is the first home Kentucky football game, so we were off to Lexington after First Friday. Doesn't Caroline look cozy? That's a purple unicorn around her neck whose one purpose in life is to give her comfort when she sleeps in her carseat during our roadtrips!

Stay tuned for tailgating pictures coming up this weekend! Go Big Blue!

Happy Birthday, Jordi!

2008-09-02T22:19:00.004-05:00

Today was Jordi's 5th birthday!

She had her official celebration yesterday with a birthday party in Central Park. This year's cake scene: a hiking path through the woods, inspired by our recent hike at Lake Vesuvius!

For the first time, Jordi invited some friends to her party. That's Little Emily on the left, Jordi's friend from ballet (and a familiar face to regular viewers of this blog!). On the right is Marti K, one of Jordi's new friends from her kindergarten class. Jordi really seemed to enjoy celebrating with these little buddies!

This is a picture from today. After ballet class & dinner at Bob Evans, we had a came back home for more birthday gifts. Here's Jordi opening a package from her cousin Libby!

Luckily, we had plenty of cake left over from the party on Monday for everyone to have another piece today. Mmmmmm - it's so good!

Chris' 20th Reunion

2008-09-01T13:57:00.002-05:00

Don't you love it??! This was Chris' name tag from Saturday night. What a great idea to put his senior picture on there!

We met up with some of Chris' high school buddies before heading over to the Reunion: Larry, Scott, Ted, & Chris.

And, on the other side of the table, the wives (also known as "Reunion Widows"): Lisa, Jennifer, Stephanie, & Dawn. Even though it wasn't our night, we had such a great time hanging out with each other while the guys got caught up with all their old classmates.

The final get-together of the weekend was lunch-time cookout. Despite their lack of sleep, Scott & Chris managed to pull it together and put out a delicious meal for everyone: hot dogs, hamburgers & cheeseburgers, & chicken.

Truly, it was a great weekend. The Planning Committee for the Class of '88 put together a wonderful three days of informal & fun activities, and everyone took full advantage the opportunities they were given to do lots of catching up while having a good time. From what I could tell, everyone really enjoyed themselves, myself included!

Class of '88 Reunion Weekend

2008-08-30T08:31:00.003-05:00

Well, it's finally here! The much anticipated Paul Blazer Class of 1988 20th High School Reunion Weekend! Things got started last night with a cookout/tailgating get-together prior to the Tomcat home football game. It was a festive start, and a excellent warm-up for the big event, which is tonight's dinner and dance.

Even the "products" of Class of '88 members got in on fun of the gathering! Look at those smiling faces!

Hiking Rock House Trail

2008-08-24T07:22:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, we took our first hiking trip together as a family. We traveled to nearby Wayne National Forest to explore the Rock House Trail in the Vesuvius Recreational Area. We chose it because it's short (.8 miles), paved, and includes a cave (technically a "rock overhang," but close enough for the girls' purposes!)

Here we are at the beginning of the trail. What a pretty start!

It didn't take us long to get to the Rock House. The girls enjoyed running ahead on the trail, and were especially pleased to see the humongous rock formations at our destination.

Aunt Donna came with us, too. Here's a picture I took in the darkest, most remote area of the Rock House. Aunt Donna was the adventurous one who lead the girls to this area; I think they enjoyed the potential "scariness" of it!

As you can see, there are lots of photo opportunities in the Rock House! In fact, we took lots more pictures than what I've posted here. It was a really fun family outing, and I hope we get the chance to go hiking more often soon!

We checked out the lake before we left. We walked down this long pier and saw lots of people fishing and some lovely woodland views. Chris found out that they rent boats there, too, so maybe we'll be posting pictures from a lake adventure next time!

Caroline Starts Ballet

2008-08-21T19:01:00.002-05:00

After two long years of observing Jordi in her class at the June Conn School of Dance, Caroline finally attended a ballet class of her own!

Last week, Nana took Caroline shopping to get her very own, brand-new, leotard & ballet slippers. Doesn't she look so grown up?! I took this picture as we were waiting in for class to start. She was very eager to get started!

Here she is after class, posing with Jordi. You'll be happy to know that Caroline was the most well-prepared of all the 3-year-old novice ballerinas in her class! She never wavered in her focus on the teachers, and performed all her moves with determination and purpose. Quite precocious!

Caroline's Cookie Face

2008-08-17T12:45:00.003-05:00

In this picture, Caroline is wearing the evidence of one of the perks of having Aunt Donna live with us:

Aunt Donna is, overall, a wonderful cook, but her speciality is baking. A couple days ago, she made a batch of her renowned chocolate chip cookies. Caroline's smile is no understatement, folks! These cookies are awesome!

Jordi's First Day of School

2008-08-13T21:01:00.002-05:00

It seems like only yesterday that we were bringing her home from the hospital, but our little girl actually started kindergarten today!

Here we go, getting into the car for our first morning trip to school!

We ran into Jordi's friend from ballet, Little Emily, on our way into school. These two have known each other since they were three years old; isn't it nice to have a friend's hand to hold onto during such a momentous occasion?

Once inside, we joined in the annual "Boo Hoo Breakfast," an aptly named event for the first day of school! Luckily, Jordi was too excited for tears. The only thing I wanted to cry about, however, was not getting there early enough to actually sit down & enjoy eating together before Jordi's big day!

Once the bell rang, it was time to walk Jordi down to her classroom. (I love this picture!)

There she is, ready to begin her formal education journey. Bye, Jordi!

You'll be happy to know that Jordi had an uneventful - and, therefore, great! - first day of school. She brought home several papers to show us, and even got to lead the lunch line, which she said was her favorite part of the whole day. It was a tiring day, though, so I didn't get any protesting tonight about the earlier bedtime that we've imposed for school-nights. In fact, I think I'll skip the Olympics myself tonight, and get some much needed rest. After all, we've got to get up & do it all over again tomorrow!

Card from Grandma

2008-08-11T21:07:00.004-05:00

Both girls got a card in the mail today from their Grandma Henri. Getting mail with your name on it is such a treat to them! I can tell that Caroline took Grandma's words to heart. Just listen to this video I made of her "reading" what Grandma wrote to her!

Too sweet!

Meeting the Teacher

2008-08-11T05:55:00.002-05:00

Jordi will start Kindergarten later this week, and last Friday she had her first official visit to her new school for a meeting with her new teacher, Mrs. Wyse. We had to wait our turn out in the hall, so, of course, I took a few pictures!

Here's Jordi outside her new classroom, posing by their bulletin board. (At least I think it's their bulletin board! Their classroom is decorated like the ocean and this is the only one with fish on it!)

You can tell by the look on her face that she's very eager to meet her new teacher!

I took this picture as we were walking back to the car after the meeting. Go, Hagar Wildcats!

Jordi has Kinder Camp to attend today (Monday) and her first full day of school is Wednesday, August 13. Please keep her in your thoughts this week - these are big moments for our girl!

Happy Birthday, Grandad!

2008-08-09T10:10:00.003-05:00

This past Wednesday was Grandad Tim's birthday. We celebrated with a delicious dinner of Judy's spaghetti followed by a homemade cake, baked & decorated by the birthday boy himself (with help from Jordi & Caroline, of course!)

The girls are smiling so much because they "tricked" Grandad into making his own birthday cake by telling him that he was making it for our neighbors, who happen to be big UK fans. Then - surprise, Grandad! - it's really for you! As you can see by the expression on their faces, they were quite pleased with themselves for "pulling off" such a hilarious joke!

Our Last Day of Vacation

2008-08-06T16:55:00.003-05:00

Last Friday, the last day of our Lexington vacation, the Pullems & Halls all traveled to Berea for a cook-out hosted by the Osborns. Chef Scott was in charge of the menu, and we all enjoyed a wonderful meal of grilled steak, salad, & veggies. Even more enjoyable was spending time together with such good friends!

We don't get all three families together very often, so I'm glad I got this picture of all seven kids at one time: Chloe (5), Tyler (3), Caroline (3), Miranda (8), Nathan (6), Austin (8), and Jordi (4).

A moment in time, captured for posterity!

Jacobson Park in Lexington

2008-08-05T06:48:00.003-05:00

Tim & Judy had been telling us about this park & it's remarkable playground for awhile. During our recent week in Lexington, we finally made it there. As you'll see from these pictures, it was well worth exploring!

Here's Jordi in just one small section of this enormous fortress-like play area. Honestly, it may have been the largest playground we've ever been to!

It was full of turrets and tunnels - it was almost like a maze in some spots! I took this picture of Jordi in one of the many narrow hidden stairway areas.

Despite the heat & humidity, both girls had a lot of fun exploring the "castle playground," as they called it. I think we'll wait until the weather cools off a bit before returning!

Ice Cream Truck in Lexington

2008-08-03T18:15:00.002-05:00

Despite knowing nothing about ice cream trucks, the first time Jordi heard that distinctive bell, she knew something exciting was on its way!

This picture is from our first experience with the ice cream truck. As soon as I told her what the bell was for, she immediately hustled out to the sidewalk and flagged down the driver. As you can see, she was very grown-up about the whole thing, even ordering to paying by herself!

Luckily, the next time it came by, Caroline hadn't gone down for her nap yet. (Actually, she was supposed to be napping, but wasn't asleep yet and heard the bell; Dad took pity on her and let her get up & go outside to get an ice cream with her sister. One of the perks of being on vacation, y'know!) Anyway, both girls were very happy with their afternoon ice cream treats! Yum!

More Vacation Pictures

2008-08-02T18:57:00.001-05:00

We're back home in Ashland as of this afternoon, so it's time to do some catching up on our blog posting.

Let me start with pictures from our trip to a local pool. We had a few days of stormy weather, but luckily things did clear up enough that we were able to enjoy 2 fine pool days during our week.

This was our pool of choice on both occasions. It was really fun for the girls, as you'll see from the following pictures...

That's right, folks - you're eyes are not deceiving you - there's a pirate ship in this pool! How cool is that?! The ship, combined with zero-depth entry and average overall depth of 2 feet, makes this a wonderfully kid-friendly place to spend the day!

I can't tell you how many times Jordi went down this slide! Believe me, it's just as fun as it looks!

Caroline, however, was not ready for all that water in her face from the slide and was, therefore, more content to spend time with one of the two friendly alligators guarding the ship.

It was just so great that both Jordi & Caroline could go anywhere in that big pool without the water being over their heads. I was really impressed by all the features at the Woodland Aquatic Center. In addition to the kids' Pirate pool, there's also a diving pool, a lap pool, and concession stand. I would highly recommend a visit here to anyone with younger kids!

A Week in Lexington

2008-07-29T08:22:00.012-05:00

Pics from our "vacation" in Lexington -

The week started with a visit to the Hall house.

Jordi is starting to figure out this bike thing.

Jordi tossing a buck in the basket to show her appreciation.

With clouds overhead we decided to scrap our original plan to swim and, instead, visited the Kentucky Horse Park .

The threat of rain was enough to keep the crowds away. Here's Jordi and Caro waiting their turn for a pony ride.

As you can see, they both had a great time!

After a relaxing dinner at Ramsey's, we ended the day by cooling off in one Lexington's many fountains.

More pics coming soon!...

Summer Motion

2008-07-12T12:59:00.003-05:00

We had so much fun attending all the Summer Motion happenings over the Fourth of July weekend; it really pained me to not be able to take any pictures! Luckily, our friend Christy Ford had her camera when we ran into her on the riverfront last Friday evening. Here are just 3 of the many wonderful images she captured:

The girls had been looking forward to cotton candy all week. Here's Caroline wearing the evidence of her enjoyment all over her face & hands!

This picture is good evidence of the easy rapport between Jordi & Christy; one who enjoys taking pictures & the other who enjoys being the subject of those pictures!

Being so close to the tracks, it was quite loud when a train rumbled through; hence the fingers in the ears! Anyway, I included this one because I think she looks simply lovely, cotton candy face and all!

Thanks again, Christy, for sharing your beautiful work with us!

Welcome 4th of July!

2008-07-04T09:31:00.002-05:00

We kicked off our holiday weekend last night by burning a couple dozen sparklers & exploding a box of Pop-Its.

This year, they're both old enough to hold a sparkler all by themselves - they're thrilled! We had so much fun, in fact, that we used up most of our Fourth of July supply. I guess I'll be headed back to buy some more today!

Technical Note: You may notice that the above picture is a bit fuzzy. That's been happening for the past month or so, so I recently emailed Canon for advice. They recommend that I send it to them for repair, so I anticipate a decline in posting while my camera is gone. Keep your fingers crossed that it's a quick fix!

Ashland's Newest Feature!

2008-06-27T20:32:00.004-05:00

On Thursday, just in time for the official start of summer, the sprayground finally opened beside the main branch of the library! Although I had to work, Nana & Grandad took the girls to the opening ceremonies. There they met up with Chris, who took all but this first picture:

Chris said that one of the city engineers took this one from above of our little Caroline. I like it because it gives you a good sense of what the whole thing looks like!

Here's Jordi, along with lots of other kids, enjoying the spray.

Chris has captioned this picture "Mad Caroline." I don't know what brought this on, but our little one does have her moments!

Anyway, it's a fun place within walking distance of our house; we've been there after dinner every day since! We're glad it's open!

Goodbye, Grandma Henri!

2008-06-17T20:28:00.002-05:00

As you may know, my mom, Henri, has been visiting for the last three weeks. She came in time to see her oldest granddaughter perform at the beautiful Paramount theatre, and stayed long enough to see her youngest granddaughter grow up in a day on her 3rd birthday!

But the end of her visit came all too soon today. We all made the trip together to bring Grandma to the airport. It was definitely sad to say goodbye, but luckily, Jordi's birthday is only a couple short months away, so we'll see her again in September!

Actually, the girls had to come with us today so that Grandma could take Caroline to Toys 'R' Us. The tradition (started by Mum when we Eastman girls were their age!) goes the birthday girl gets a special trip to the toy store to pick out any toy she wants. Caroline is pictured here in her selection: a butterfly costume with a crown & earrings! Thank you, Grandma! Hurry back - we'll miss you!

Happy 3rd Birthday, Caroline!

2008-06-15T06:47:00.002-05:00

Our little Caroline turned three years old on Friday. Here are a few of my favorite pictures of the big event:

Jordi, the budding photographer, took this picture of her sister on Friday while they were visiting the neighbors. I love the look on her face!

Caroline's party was Saturday morning. I like this picture because it shows the two girls together, both looking very happy!

I took this picture because I wanted to document how fantastic the artwork on Caroline's cake turned out. For those of you without small kids, that's "Diego," and the likeness is uncanny! It came from Nu-Era Bakery, and it tasted as good as it looked! Who knew that frosting could be an art medium??!

We all have thoroughly enjoyed ourselves during all of Caroline's birthday activities. On her birthday, Nana & Grandad took both girls swimming during the day and then we all went to Gattiland together for a big-time celebration supper. Then on Saturday, of course the party was fun, too: lots of presents & cards to open from family & friends. Then Dad rounded out the day by taking the girls swimming again after supper. We are all worn out by now, but wouldn't want it any other way. It's not every day that the youngest member of the family gets big in one day and turns 3!

Memorial Day Weekend

2008-06-08T07:30:00.003-05:00

I know Memorial Day was a couple weeks ago, but better late than never, right? (Let's hope so!) Anyway, it was a busy, fun-filled weekend, and here are a few pictures of what helped make it that way:

When spending time at "Carson's place," there are many ways to enjoy the out-of-doors; this picture illustrates one of them! Chris made many trips around the property on this 4-wheeler, taking turns with each girl. Of course, he waited until he was out of sight to drive like a maniac, but we could still hear those squeals of delight whenever he revved it up really fast!

The whole gang was there for a Memorial Day cook-out, so that means we got to spend time with all our favorite friends. Jordi felt very privileged to be allowed to help Baby Ava eat her strawberry shortcake!

I took this picture at the Ford's house. They have a new pool this year, and we have had a wonderful time helping them to break it in. It's so fantastic, in fact, that I don't know how they got along all these years without one!

I know it's been awhile between posts lately, but I'll try to be more conscientious about it in the future. And since Caroline's birthday is in just a couple days (June 13!), I'll have to make sure to post those pictures in a timely fashion. Stay tuned!

Brief Ballet Video

2008-06-01T12:47:00.003-05:00

Here's a brief video of the end of Jordi's time on stage during the ballet. (For the untrained eye, it may be hard to tell all those bunnies apart, so I'll let you know that she's 3rd from the right!) Enjoy!

"Hansel & Gretel" at the Paramount

2008-06-01T12:00:00.004-05:00

Last night was the night we've been waiting for: Jordi's ballet recital! The ballet was "Hansel & Gretel" and Jordi's ballet class were cast in the role of Bunnies.

Here's Jordi posing in front of the theater after the show. It's a long-standing tradition that each dancer receives flowers from family & friends in attendance; you can see from her armload of blooms that Jordi is blessed with many of both!

We don't often get all of us in one picture, but, luckily, Susie Daniel was with us last night and she offered to take this special photo!

So, in her honor, here's a picture our wonderful friend, Susie, posing with the ballerina!

Once again, Miss Maria & all the ladies from June Conn put on a wonderful show. Can't wait to do it all again next year!

Welcome Back, Daddy!

2008-05-22T22:05:00.002-05:00

Based soley on the shape of these lollipops that he brought home from his business trip, can you guess where Chris spent the last 4 days??

That's right - Las Vegas! We girls missed him very much and are very glad he's home now. I think he's glad to be back, too... or at least he will be once the jet lag wears off!

Soccer Season Ends

2008-05-20T20:45:00.003-05:00

Jordi's last game of her first soccer season was this past Saturday. Although there were a couple times over the course of the six week period that she wasn't interested in going, I think it was a good experience for her overall. Her coach was unfailingly enthusiastic and did an excellent job of including all the kids (whether they wanted to or not!) during the practices & games. He and his wife were very friendly, even bringing snacks & juice for the kids to every game, and we're glad Jordi was assigned to his team!

No, your eyes aren't deceiving you - that's Caroline out there playing on the Orange team! They were down one at the start the game, so we offered her services if they had an extra t-shirt she could wear. Luckily for Caroline - they did!

She had a lot of fun in her first game. She didn't get to the ball, but she did run hard, grinning all the while, I might add! (Unfortunately, the ref noticed her lack of shin guards during the second quarter, so she had to sit out the rest of the game. But Coach let her keep the t-shirt anyway!)

After the game ended, Coach Joe made a special presentation of an engraved gold medal to each of his players. As Jordi has a well-known affinity for "golden" medals (as she calls them), this was a big deal to her!

Here's Jordi & Coach Joe - Thanks again for a great season!

Pretty as a Picture

2008-05-17T22:00:00.002-05:00

An eagerly awaited event (for me, anyway!) on the ballet school calendar each year is Picture Day. Of course, everyone's tried on her costume already, but this is the first glimpse of each dancer in her full recital glory: costume, hair, & make-up. Then, when they're all together like that - well, you just can't imagine how cute it is to see class after class of pre-schoolers, all dolled up, patiently waiting their turn to be photographed!

Here's Jordi (far right), with about half of her class "on deck," as it were, for the photographer. Aren't they too much? And besides these adorable bunnies, the waiting area was also filled with other classes dressed as butterflies, buttercups, & bumblebees - each outfit cuter than the next! I can't wait to see Jordi's picture; I'll be sure to post it when we get it in a few weeks!

Also, I'd like to mention that being able to witness those dozens of little costumed ballerinas gathered together like that made quite an impression on me - it's a memory that's sure to make me smile for a long while!

Backyardigans - LIVE!

2008-05-16T06:11:00.002-05:00

Last night, we had an extra-special treat. We went to the Paramount Arts Center to watch the the girls' favorite cartoon characters, the Backyardigans, live and on stage in "The Tale of the Mighty Knights."

Look what excellent seats we had! Second row! Good job, Dad!

I took this picture before the show started. Jordi is dressed as Uniqua in an outfit made by Grandma Henri. Don't the headband and face-painting just put the whole thing over the top? She was thrilled with how she looked! (and, in fact, cried when I washed her spots off later that night before bed!)

Grandma made Caroline an outfit, too. She's always had an affinity for Pablo, so Grandma rose to the challenge - even making a homemade beanie! Way to go, Grandma!

Although it was slightly strange to see these familiar cartoon characters with human faces, overall the performers did a good job maintaining the spirit of their animated counterparts. The music & singing was very good, and they built in lots of audience participation, too, to help hold the kids' attention. All in all, a fun-filled family evening!

Mother's Day Weekend

2008-05-12T20:24:00.003-05:00

We hadn't been to Lexington in quite awhile, so we decided to remedy that this past weekend.

One of our top priorities whenever we visit Lexington is to get Caroline a haircut. So, first thing Saturday morning, we headed down to Kiddie Kutters for another fantastically cute hair-do! Thanks again, Keneisha; you never let us down!

Another Lexington priority: visiting the Halls! Here's Caroline and Tyler, enjoying crudites & ranch dressing. As luck would have it, the way things worked out this time, we were able to spend time with our favorite family on all three days - bonus!

On Sunday, we met up with our old friends the Halls and our new friends the Griers at Max & Erma's for Mother's Day lunch. Not only is it where Chris & I met, but it also has a ice cream bar in a bathtub for the kids! And seeing as how there were a eight children in our party of 14, this was very important!

Finally, fun time was over & it was time to head back to Ashland. Here's Jordi & Caroline, enjoying a moment of sisterly love on the ride home!

As you may surmise from the fact that Chris & I are featured in this photo, Jordi took this picture. We were wrapping up our wonderful weekend with a piece of delicious chocolate cream pie from our favorite Lexington pie shop, and Jordi was moved (as she often is!) to capture the moment. We thought you'd like to see things from her perspective!

All in all, it was a wonderful family weekend, full of friends & fun!

Sleeping Sisters

2008-05-07T19:03:00.002-05:00

I know we've taken pictures like this before, but I can't remember if we've ever blogged one:

There's just something so irresistibly sweet about seeing them sleep together so peacefully. Notice, too, how Caroline has her arm around Jordi - just precious! (p.s. Thanks, Nana, for the matching pj's!)

Midway through Soccer Season

2008-05-02T05:49:00.002-05:00

Jordi's first soccer season is about halfway over, and it seems to be going just fine. They have their games on Saturday afternoons and practices on Monday evenings. She does a good job of listening to Coach Joe and trying to keep up with Trevor, who happens to be on our team but has easily been the fastest runner (not to mention best player!) on any team yet!

Of course, every member of the team gets a chance to play, so sometimes you have to wait your turn to go back in. During the game last weekend, I passed the time with Jordi by taking her picture!

Here's the team at halftime. They've got something to sit on so they can rest all together. Jordi's eating a granola bar because the game didn't start until after 5 pm, and her hunger was distracting her from wanting to stay on the field with her team!

Anyway, if you find yourself at Central Park in Ashland around five o'clock on any of the next 3 Saturdays, please feel free to come join us. You'll need to bring your own chair to the Central Ave side near 20th Street, and you can't miss those orange jerseys! Hope to see you there!

Tree Swing

2008-04-29T16:55:00.002-05:00

The fact that we don't have a very big yard doesn't seem to bother the girls one little bit. They're happy to find fun things to do whenever they present themselves, like in this picture. The big magnolia tree on the Lexington Street side of the house has some low-hanging branches on one side, and - look! - this one's just the right height for little girls to sit on! How wonderful!

Happy Birthday, Baby Ava!

2008-04-27T12:24:00.004-05:00

On Saturday, we attended the 1st birthday party of our little friend, Ava Daniel:

We all had a great time, especially the birthday girl! Doesn't she look like she's enjoying herself while sitting with her daddy's in this picture? She is too cute!

The party was held at Gattiland. If you've never been there, it's a pizza place out front and an arcade in the back. You can see by Caroline's face that she's not too sure she wants to be in this dark, very loud place...

...whew! a kid-sized merry-go-round! Let the good times begin!

We found a few other games & rides for the girls to enjoy, like the monster-truck ride pictured here. So, between the all-you-can-eat pizza, birthday cake & ice cream, arcade games, and good company of the Daniel family & friends, it was a wonderful way to spend an afternoon.

Thanks again, Megan & Josh, for including us in Ava's special day!

Preview of Recital Costume

2008-04-24T19:15:00.002-05:00

The annual June Conn School of Dance recital is just over a month away. That means only one thing - it's costume time!

This year, the ballet will be performing "Hansel and Gretel," and Jordi's "Creative Movement" class (that's what they call the ballet classes for pre-schoolers) will be bunnies. Caroline is modeling a costume, too, since she would not be denied participating in the dress-up dance show at Nana & Grandad's house! Aren't they just too sweet!

Dragon Boat Races

2008-04-20T12:42:00.003-05:00

I took this picture last night:

They had these four toy bins set up in the hallway and were chanting "Row! - Row! - Row!.." When I inquired what was happening, I was informed that they were in a Dragon Boat Race. Jordi later told me that the idea came from one of the "Ni hao, Kai-lan" computer games she likes to play on the Nick, Jr. website. (Believe it or not, folks, she actually is capable of playing video games on her own at the tender age of 4-and-a-half years old!) If you're not familiar with "Ni hao, Kai-lan," it's a relatively new cartoon on Nick, Jr. about a Chinese-American little girl. It has become a favorite of theirs; Jordi especially enjoys the little stories and learning the Chinese words. Last week, we even went to our nearby Chinese restaurant to try Chinese dumplings after they watched a show about how Kai-lan's grandfather made them for her and all her little friends. I ordered the steamed variety and both girls gobbled them up! Go figure!

More Daffodil Pictures

2008-04-19T14:22:00.002-05:00

Since I don't have any newly-taken pictures to post, I thought I would share with you these two images from earlier this month:

I developed both of these as 8x10s and they are now proudly displayed on the mantel of our living room. Thank you again, Christy, for taking so many wonderful pictures of the girls amongst the daffodils!

Caroline in the Bath

2008-04-17T18:03:00.002-05:00

Reason #18 why Dad is more fun at giving baths than Mom: shampoo mohawk hairdos!

Sick Day

2008-04-15T08:32:00.002-05:00

Our little Jordi came down with her first case of strep throat this weekend. Luckily, we were able to get to the doctor first thing Monday morning and, by suppertime, she was already perking up. Chris took this picture Monday afternoon, while she was still feeling poorly. Uniqua was Jordi's constant companion during this time; whenever the fever came on & her throat hurt worse, Jordi wanted only to hang onto her stuffed friend, bury her face in that pink neck, and fall asleep. Don't we all wish we had such a furry source of comfort!

Jordi's First Soccer Game

2008-04-13T05:41:00.002-05:00

Jordi's YMCA soccer team played their first game yesterday - and won! It was just as you would imagine a co-ed, four-years-old-and-under soccer game would be, only with the added twist that the temperature dropped about 10-15 degrees while we were out there! Brrr!

Her team is Orange, and you can pick Jordi out in this picture by her pink shin guards. Their opponent this week was the Red team.

The boy pictured here with Jordi is easily the best player on the team at this point. No one keeps stats at these games, but I'm pretty sure he scored all but one of their goals! When I complimented his mom on his ability, she admitted that he has played before; maybe there's hope yet for the rest of them!

The traditional post-game demonstration of good sportsmanship: the "good game" hand slap!

Our next five Saturday afternoons are booked with more soccer games; look for more pictures next week!

Sister Act

2008-04-12T13:28:00.002-05:00

This week, the girls added live music and original song writing to their popular singing & dancing act. What a treat! It started when Jordi got the pink guitar out of storage, and then sought out the drum so her sister could join in the fun. We've all been impressed with the wide range of song topics put forth by these two. A picture doesn't really do it justice; you really have to hear it to appreciate it! If I get a video, I'll be sure to post it!!

"Dirt Face"

2008-04-10T07:37:00.005-05:00

When asked, that's what Jordi told me they were doing out here in this empty flowerbed while I was chit-chatting with the neighbors on their porch yesterday evening! I commented that Caroline looked like she must have lost that game, Jordi replied, "Oh, no, there's not a winner or loser, just keep on playing!"

Here's a second picture for emphasis, but it really doesn't do justice to the amount of dirt on Caroline at this moment. I know you can see the amount of dirt on her face and shirt, but you have no idea - nor did I until I tried to wash it out later in the tub! - how much dirt is being held within that lovely curly hair! In fact, I found it impossible to remove it all last night. So, although it's still there, at least it's now clean dirt!

Jordi's Soccer Practice

2008-04-08T14:37:00.002-05:00

We signed Jordi up to play soccer through the YMCA and yesterday was her first practice. Here is a picture of her taking her very first official kick! Last week, Nana bought a soccer ball for the girls to share. We had been practicing on our own for a few days prior to this, so Jordi was at least a little familiar with what was happening out there!

(Jordi likes this picture a little better and asked me to post it on her behalf.)

In case you were wondering about Caroline, here's a picture I took of her just hanging out while Jordi was practicing. I did kick the ball back & forth with her for awhile, but I think she would have rather been out on the field with the other kids!

Jordi's first game is Saturday, so check back then for more soccer pictures!

Jordi at Ballet Class

2008-04-04T12:54:00.002-05:00

One Monday way back in January, a professional photographer, Ashley G. Quinn, came to Jordi's ballet school in order to take some promotional pictures of the students doing their thing during the classes that evening. I'm pleased to let you know that this picture is scheduled be used in an ad for the June Conn School in the summer issue of Bridges Magazine! How nice!

Pretty Faces

2008-04-03T20:52:00.002-05:00

Today I took my first look at Christy's pictures from the park, and these two images have really grabbed me. I found something special in each of the many the pictures she took, but I keep coming back to these particular black & white images; they are simply lovely! Thank you again, Christy!!

Daffodil Days at Central Park

2008-04-01T20:35:00.006-05:00

Today, Spring made a valiant attempt at showing herself; although the skies remained mostly overcast, the temperature was a very pleasant & warm 70-ish degrees. And during the afternoon, the sun even peeked out every now and then.

Time to go to the park!

Our friend Christy Ford met us there in order to take pictures of Jordi and Caroline amongst the thousands of blooming daffodils. I hope to post some of her pictures at a later date; for now, you'll have to be content with a few of mine:

After Christy left and the girls were left to their own devices, they found some "fishing poles" and decided to do some "fishing" in this little stream. I like this picture because you can see how wet Caroline's dress is - yes, at one point, she did fall in!

What a trooper! After the initial shock of being wet wore off, she was determined to carry on with the fishing expedition. I mean, is this the face of girl who's having the time of her life, or what?!

Even Jordi (although she didn't fall in) didn't mind getting a little muddy. She was having too much fun poking that "fishing pole" in the water and pulling it out, excitedly shouting, "Look! A leaf!" (Do you think she'd be disappointed if we went real fishing??!) Anyways, all in all, we had a wonderful afternoon!

Where is Spring?

2008-03-31T09:28:00.003-05:00

It seems as though we've been waiting all month for spring to arrive. I took this picture of the girls way back on the 3rd of March:

I think this was the nicest day we all month! Between then and now, we had a few snowy days and many, many chilly days, and most of those were rainy & damp as well. Granted, the early spring flowers (like hyacinth, daffodils, forsythia, etc.) are all in bloom by now, which is definitely a welcome sight. But... come on, Spring, we're ready for some warm weather!

A Different Kind of Mess...

2008-03-29T15:34:00.005-05:00

After dinner one night recently, while I was doing the dishes in the kitchen, the girls busied themselves in the dining room with one of their favorite activities: coloring-in on a big cardboard box with markers! (Papa Jerry sent us some oranges from Florida - they were delicious, by the way! - which are shipped in a kid-friendly-for-coloring box.) I was almost done with my washing when I heard Caroline calling out to me, saying "wait 'til you see this, Mom, it's really silly!"

Among other things, I guess this does qualify as silly! (Notice that she got her entire left hand & arm up to the elbow, and had only just got started on the right side!) See how happy she is? Well, I hated to burst her little bubble, so I didn't fuss at her immediately. As gently but firmly as possible, I told her that coloring yourself with marker was, in fact, not "silly," but rather "not allowed under any circumstances." Seeing that little face fall so suddenly when she realized that I wasn't pleased was not easy! But, between us, it was a water-based marker, so it wasn't really as bad as it looks. Just don't tell that to Caroline!

Picnic in the Park

2008-03-27T12:01:00.002-05:00

Spring has been slow in coming this year, but yesterday was - finally! - a nice, warm, sunny day. We took advantage of it by having our first alfresco lunch of the year at the park!

As you can see, it was still a little breezy, but no matter. It just felt so great to be outdoors!

And what's a visit to the park without swinging? Here's Caroline, enjoying herself...

...and Jordi, too!

Unfortunately, it's raining today. But I hope to post more outdoor pictures in the near future as the weather continues to improve!

A Big Mess

2008-03-26T10:08:00.002-05:00

A couple weeks ago, we experienced one of the disadvantages of homeownership - a big, expensive home repair! The old clay sewer pipe that went out from the house (about 20 feet under the side yard to where it hooked up with the city sewer line) failed. Whether it was crushed by tree roots or just collapsed from old age, we'll never know. What we did know, however, was that it needed to be fixed - fast!

We ended up having to wait a couple days until the job could get done. Thankfully, Tim & Judy were willing to accommodate us during that time! I took this picture of Caroline during our first night there. She's enjoying one of Grandad's special treats that he makes just for the girls: milkshakes!

Ta da - the finished result inside the house! (I wish I had taken a picture of the gigantic hole they dug in the side yard, but - alas! - I just didn't.) They had to jackhammer up some of the floor in the basement, and they came back last Friday to pour the concrete and clean up the rest of the mess. You can't really see it in the picture, but the girls did write their names & the year in the wet cement for posterity. Thank goodness that's over!

Happy Easter 2008!

2008-03-23T13:19:00.002-05:00

Well, as you've undoubtedly heard, today is almost the earliest date possible for Easter (the earliest date possible is March 22) and, in fact, it won't be this early again for over 150 years!. Keeping that in mind, we prepared for a chilly day today with temperatures only forcast to be in the low 40's. Brrr!

So, off we went to church! Here's Jordi in the Easter play, wearing angel wings & a halo and playing the tambourine. (For some reason, she insists on holding a lyric sheet, although she knows the words and can't read them anyways! I guess she just wants to do what the rest of the older kids are doing!)

After the service, I tried to take some pictures of the girls in front of all the beautiful flowers up near the altar. Unfortunately, Caroline stubbornly (and loudly) refused to cooperate. So here's Jordi, posing on her own, showing off the pretty Easter dress that Grandma Henri made for her.

Luckily, she was more inclined to have her picture taken once church was over. Here she is, enjoying a Cadbury creme egg from the cute little blue felt Easter basket she received from Judy Ford!

Finally, a picture of both girls - and they're smiling! (These are not easy to come by, believe me!) I think they were both had enough candy in them to override any feelings of picture protest. Whatever the reason, I'm glad I got at least one picture of them as a memento of the day!

Happy Birthday, Nana!

2008-03-21T07:49:00.002-05:00

Yay! Another birthday to celebrate! On Wednesday, it was Nana's turn to get another year older:

Once again, the girls helped Grandad bake a wonderful-looking - and tasting - cake. Delicious! We hope you enjoyed your special day, Nana, as much as we enjoyed sharing it with you!

Happy Birthday, Dad!

2008-03-17T11:36:00.002-05:00

Chris' birthday was last Wednesday, and we celebrated with a low-key birthday party at Tim & Judy's house. Here's a picture of the birthday guy with his two girls and yummy home-made cake:

Mmmm! That cake was delicious! This month is a great one for birthdays in our family - Nana's is coming up this Wednesday! (yay! more cake!)

Dave Ramsey - LIVE!

2008-03-07T14:26:00.003-05:00

Last night, Chris and I had the special opportunity to see Dave Ramsey - live and in person! - in Lexington. The event is called "The Total Money Makeover," which (according to the website) "...is the LARGEST event on personal finances in the U.S. - period. Why? Because it's fun. In fact, it's the most fun you'll ever have learning how to win with money."

And it was! It was 3-and-a-half hours of energy, information, and inspiration, all delivered with a healthy dose of laughter. I started listening to Dave on the radio just after Jordi was born, and last year I attended his "Financial Peace University" class. So, even though I was already familiar with his philosophy and energy, it couldn't compare to seeing the guy live & in person! What a thrill!

Thanks, again, Tim & Judy, for such a wonderful Christmas gift!

Jordi's Self-Portraits

2008-03-04T07:23:00.002-05:00

Previously on this blog, I have mentioned Jordi's affinity to our digital camera. She enjoys being photographed as well as being the photographer. Well, last month, Jordi managed to take a lot of pictures - more than 70, to be exact! When I finally uploaded them to the computer this morning, I was amused to discover that, among the shots of everyday items like toys, Valentine's cards, wall hangings, etc., were thirteen self-portraits!

Here is a small sample:

She's a funny kid!

UK 64 - UGA 55

2008-02-26T08:10:00.002-05:00

Last Tuesday (February 19th), I had the opportunity to attend my very first Wildcats home game at Rupp Arena. It was a lot of fun - and not just because Kentucky ended up winning!

Look at how fantastic our seats were! They belong to a friend of ours who was nice enough to let us use them since he couldn't. Are we lucky, or what??! Woo hoo!

In addition to a great view of all the action on the court, we also had a direct view of the UK Pep Band. (I really appreciated that part!) While all the band members did their part, none was more energetic or committed to his role than the trumpet player at the end of the uppermost row! He really stood out from all the other band members as one who seemed to be genuinely enjoying himself. We (as well as most of the other people close enough to see him) were not only quite amused by all his antics, but also really appreciated his tremendous effort. Keep it up, kid!

Jordi in the Choir

2008-02-21T21:44:00.002-05:00

You know how Jordi is about music - she'll gladly participate any chance she gets! Well, Miss Debbie asked Jordi to come play the tambourine and sing in the Youth Choir during the 10:30 service last Sunday. Of course, Jordi eagerly accepted!

We had to be there early for practice. That's Miss Carol, the music director, playing the piano, and cousin Emily sitting beside Jordi.

Caroline was asked to join in, too, on the maracas. Unfortunately, she's "a little shy of the people," so she was only willing to play her instrument out in the hall during practice - and then not at all in front of the congregation!

Showtime! Jordi played the tambourine wonderfully, and we all enjoyed singing along with the children. (Notice that Caroline passed along the maracas to little Steven; he had a great time up there!)

Happy (belated) St. Valentine's Day!

2008-02-21T07:33:00.002-05:00

Oops! I find myself a week behind in posting! Oh well, there's only one way to catch up, and that's just to get to it! So - let me pick up where I left off last week...

Three cheers for chocolate! We are all smiling so big because each of us has just received our own box of the delectable stuff!

Here are the girls, showing off their yummy Valentine's gifts from Daddy. No matter how old you are, it always means a lot to get such a wonderful present from that one special guy in your life!

Snow!

2008-02-14T20:01:00.003-05:00

By the time we got home from ballet class on Monday, there was about 2 inches of fresh snow on the ground. So, even though bedtime was right around the corner, we decided to bundle up, get outside, and enjoy it!

Here's Caroline in her little play house. For some reason, it seems more appealing to her when it's covered in snow!

It's sad, but true - we don't own even one sled! In light of my NH upbringing, I hate to admit that my girls think this is an acceptable form of sledding!

Here's Jordi, helping Caroline slide down their meager hill. Oh well - there's no denying that they're having a great time, even without sleds. And that's what counts, right? (Although - I promise - next time I post pictures of the girls playing the snow, whether it's later this winter or next, they will have sleds!)

Oranges from Florida

2008-02-10T09:19:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, we got a special treat in the mail: a big box of oranges from Papa Jerry! Not just any oranges, either. These were a special delivery of my all-time favorite type of orange, the Florida navel. Usually, this kind of orange is only available in November & December, so I feel very lucky to have a second chance to enjoy their deliciousness!

As you can see here, Caroline shares my love for this citrus fruit. These oranges happen to be very juicy, so it seemed only natural to sip this juice directly from the source! Just roll it around real good to break up the pulp & release the juice, poke a straw directly through the skin, and - voila! - instant orange juice in its own cup!

Shrove Tuesday 2008

2008-02-08T21:57:00.000-05:00

Annually on Shrove Tuesday (a.k.a. Mardi Gras), the Men of Calvary host a fun & festive Pancake Supper. This year was no exception! The menu included plain, chocolate chip, blueberry and peanut butter chip pancakes with either traditional maple syrup or warm, homemade blueberry syrup (yes - it's delicious!) and a side of sausage. It was a very tasty meal!

And what's dinner without a show? This magician/balloon guy made his debut last year, and was just as popular this time around. Jordi thought he was wonderful - see how she's holding one of his balloon creations in each hand and another on her head? Well, she had a whole armload by the end of the evening!

Here's Jordi and Steven, one of her little friends at church.

Here's Caroline in her Mardi Gras mask; she put a lot of effort into getting that mask adjusted just right so that she could see out of those teeny-tiny holes!

It was a great evening!

Our Weekend in Lexington

2008-02-06T09:35:00.000-05:00

After a month of hunkering down at home, recovering from the hectic holiday season, it was time for a brief family getaway to Lexington. Tim & Judy were returning from their annual trip to Florida, plus Aaron was coming in from Indy, so the timing seemed just right!

Caroline hadn't had a proper haircut in many months, so our first stop on Saturday was Kiddie Kutters. Luckily, Kennisha was on duty, and she gave Caroline another perfectly done and very cute hair cut!

Here's a picture of the girls with one of their souvenir gifts from Nana & Grandad: giant lollipops! Poor Caroline - she had dropped hers a couple times before we opened it, so it fell apart (quite dramatically, I might add!) when she took her first lick. Fortunately, she finally came around and decided to enjoy what was left in the stick!

Finally, what's a visit to Lexington without a stop at Culver's? Gotta love the Butterburger! The best part is that the kids' meals come with a free cup of frozen custard - yum! Please notice that, as you can see in this picture, Jordi ate and actually enjoyed her cold ice cream this time!

Candy Fun

2008-02-01T09:54:00.000-05:00

This picture doesn't need much explanation:

Thank you, Muffin, for providing the type of candy treats that little girls think are so neat!

First Visit to the Park in '08!

2008-01-30T10:04:00.000-05:00

Although you wouldn't guess it by today's temperatures (in the twenties all day!), on Monday, the girls and I made our first trek of the new year to Central Park for a little outdoor recreation.

Boy, did it feel good to spend some time in the fresh air! Sure, it was a little muddy and only just barely 50 degrees (in the picture, you can see Caroline's hands are red from hanging onto that still cold metal tire swing chain!), but there was no way we were going to miss the first relatively nice day we've had in awhile. Let's hope we can post more pictures like this in the near future!

Brian Regan

2008-01-28T09:32:00.000-05:00

Last night, Chris & I got a very special treat. We got to see our favorite comedian! That's right - Brian Regan came to the Keith Albee Theatre in Huntington, and we were lucky enough to be able to go! We've seen him live before, and he was just as funny as we expected. You could tell that the audience was full of Brian Regan fans because, all throughout the show, people were shouting out punchlines from their favorite bits. It was great!

I am posting this picture unedited so you can see what awesome seats we had. There's probably not a bad seat in this historic theatre, but these seats were so close to the stage - it was tremendous! Thanks again, Tim & Judy, for such a wonderful Christmas present!

Welcome Home, Dad!

2008-01-27T15:24:00.000-05:00

Chris was away with work for a few days this week, and all of us girls missed him very much. He got back home yesterday afternoon, and we made sure to commemorate this happy occasion by having a nice family dinner followed by this very special dessert:

Mmmm... little cubes of Sara Lee pound cake dipped in colored frosting & topped with sprinkles. Not just yummy, but sooo easy! Also nice was the fact that the girls could help during both the dipping and sprinkling steps of making this semi-homemade concoction. They love to help out, especially if it means getting to sample the wares! Everyone enjoyed these bite-sized goodies, and we girls were all very proud of our effort.

First Time in Curlers

2008-01-25T14:31:00.001-05:00

We were invited over to a friend's house on Wednesday for a kids' Movie Night. We were all very excited to be going, especially Jordi. She's a big fan of any kind of occasion! With that in mind, she requested a special hair-do:

So, here she is with a head full of pink sponge rollers! She kept them in all day, right up until it was time to leave. I'm sorry I didn't get a picture of the final result - she looked very cute with a head full of curls!