Merry Christmas 2008

Merry Christmas to All!

I've never been one to write a "Christmas letter"...while I really do enjoy reading other people's when they arrive in the mail! We've had a wonderfully blessed 2008. Our three children are healthy, active & successful in just about everything they do.

Thank you to all our family & friends who have touched our lives this year!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

See you in 2009,
The Howard's

Conversations with a 3 1/2 year old

Libby: (yelling) "Mom, I need to show you something"
Me: "What is it Libby?"
Libby: "My baby, her mouth, look"

I look. The baby's mouth. Has pepperoni in it.

Me: "Libby why did you put pepperoni in your baby's mouth?"
Libby: "Mom, she was really hungry"

Congratulations...Again!

Grant's hockey team is on a bit of a roll. They won the Pittsburgh Vipers Thanksgiving Tournament this past weekend. Congrats!

Oh how I long for these days...

On a cold, rainy day when it's 33 degrees...just barely hovering above freezing--I long for this day again!

Halloween 2008

Congrats Caps!

Grant's hockey team, Columbus Capitals, won the Rock-n-Roll Cup in Cleveland OH this weekend! Congrats Grant!

Ahoy Cap'n!

to err is human, to "Arrrrr" is Pirate!

Autumn Days

"For man, autumn is a time of harvest, of gathering together.
For nature, it is a time of sowing, of scattering abroad."- Edwin Way Teale

The Wrath of IKE

Really....who would believe that the remnants of a HURRICANE that hit South Texas would find it's way to the midwest and Ohio?? After last Sunday & the week that followed...I am a believer. Sunday afternoon delivered Ike to us with a bang. We experienced sustained 70+ MPH winds for about 6 hours. The girls & I drove home from Dublin watching in disbelief as trees were snapped & I had a death-grip on the steering wheel. When we arrived home, we found a home without power and minus some siding. We spent the next few hours watching our neighbors homes lose various pieces, parts, trees, etc. We joyfully ordered a pizza as the power did not return.

As day became night, it became obvious that DP&L had bigger & better things to fix...so we scrambled for flashlights & candles and warned the kids about opening the fridge. When the next morning brought more of the same, it became apparent that this might be something we were going to live with for a while.

Four days later, our power was restored. All-in-all, life without power was a small "inconvenience". We got just a small taste of what the people in Texas & Louisiana are still living thru and our hearts & prayers go out to them. We were blessed with friends who opened their homes for laundry, lights & Sunday night football!! We were creative in cooking on the grill and we gave the fridge a much needed cleaning!

May we remember to always help our neighbors in need and be thankful for what we have. I think the kids will remember this week for a long time to come...

Happy 12th Birthday Grant!

Grant chose to have a birthday lunch @ House of Japan....so, that's what we did yesterday. It is so hard to believe that you are turning 12 today. It really seems like just yesterday when we brought you home from the hospital. Wow....from 6lbs 12 oz to 5'2" & strong.

We love you and are so proud of you Grant!

Happy 9th Birthday Shelby!

We love you!

Vacation in the Smokies 2008

We took a vacation to the Smoky Mountains a few weeks ago. We had a great week together as a family. We did many "touristy" things like Dollywood, Dollywood's Splash Country, Miniature Golfing, Outlet Mall Shopping, Go-Kart driving, etc. We also enjoyed a dinner theater one night.

My favorite day was the one we spent hiking in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. We started small with a 1 mile (round trip) hike to Clingman's Dome just to see how Libby would do. She surprisingly walked a lot...but her Dad also carried her on his shoulders alot. The view from the top was magnificent. You are practically standing on the state line between North Carolina & Tennessee and can see for miles & miles.

After that, we decided to do the 2.5 mile hike to Laurel Falls. We soon found that if we kept Libby "talking" or "singing", she really didn't mind the hiking. When we reached the falls, we took off our shoes & cooled off in the water. On the way back down the trail, we met a park ranger who informed us that there was a BEAR with 3 cubs right down the hill from the trail. They were keeping a close eye on them. We didn't get to see those bears (Whew!)...but we did see some more when we were driving to Cades Cove later in the day.

Lady of Lourdes Family Fun Fest 5K

Mike ran his first 5K last night. He ran in the Lady of Lourdes Family FunFest 5K in Marysville.















The kids & I were race volunteers. Grant was a course marshal (leading the runners & bringing up the rear on a bike), Shelby was a course marshal (pointing the way), and Libby & I passed out water.

We are so proud of you Mike! What a milestone!

A Dream Season

Grant's baseball team traveled to Kingsport, TN last week to play in the USSSA 11U AA World Series. The team went 7-1 for the week. The only loss dropped them into the loser's bracket on Saturday in the semi-finals. The loss created a challenging road---where they had to play out of the loser's bracket to win the tournament. The team stepped up the challenge! Grant pitched the final game to get the win. What an incredible season it's been....full of memories that will last forever!

We are so proud of you Grant!!

A local TN newspaper even picked up on the story. Here's the link (not sure how long it will stay active): TN Newspaper Article

Looks can be deceiving

This is Libby & her friend "Charlie".

They look so sweet in this picture---don't they?

One would never guess that their Mom's spend an inordinate amount of time making sure they don't inflict serious bodily harm to each other!

Happy 3rd Birthday Libby!

Libby celebrated her 3rd birthday last Sunday. She enjoyed opening her presents with Mom, Dad, Grant & Shelby in the morning. In the afternoon, she shared a BIG cookie with all of Grant's baseball team. I am pretty sure she thought all of those people had really gathered for her birthday (and not the state tournament). SHHH!!! Don't tell her!














We are amazed by what a grown-up girl she has become. She is the joy of all of our lives and she keeps us smiling & laughing everyday. It seems like just yesterday we brought her home from the hospital....now she's potty-trained, talks like a 16 year old & pretty much tells Grant & Shelby what to do & how to do it!

We love you Libby!!

State Champs!

Grant's baseball team won the Ohio State Championships this past weekend in Bowling Green. Posing with the HUGE trophy are the very happy boy & his too proud for words Dad!!

Grant also hit one over the fence this weekend. Here's the homerun ball!

A Glimpse of Summer

Yesterday delivered 80+ degree temperatures & some real heat. The sunny skies made it easy to dig Libby's little pool out of the basement. Surprisingly, it survived the winter and she still enjoyed playing in it.

A Night at the Drive-In

This past Saturday, we took our kids on a trip back in time. We hit the nearest drive-in movie theater (click here to search for one near you) to see Indiana Jones' latest adventure. They thought it was pretty cool to pack up Dad's truck with blankets, pillows & snacks for a movie. Everyone enjoyed it. Libby & Shelby fell asleep before the 1st show ended & Mom and Dad were too tired to stay for the 2nd feature. Maybe next time...

Lots of Reasons to be Proud

Shelby gives us lots & lots of reasons to be proud of her!

This past week, she received an awesome award at school. She was chosen as one of only four students in her entire school to receive a "Character Award" for the school year. She was chosen because she consistently represents core values like:

Honesty

Responsibility

Respect

Caring

Congratulations Shelby!

Here's a picture of her ready for last night's softball game. Her team is doing awesome & last night, she hit a double!

We Love Spring

Spring in Ohio is tempermental. One day it's 80 & feels like summer, the next it's back to a high of 49! WHAT?

So...Libby & I are enjoying each warm day when we can. This past week, we took a trip to the Columbus Zoo. She really likes the pink flamingos & the grizzly bears. We also did some yard work and enjoyed getting dirty!

2008 Baseball Season

The 2008 season started for Grant on April 9th. They had a decisive win over a rival UA team that night.

Unfortunately for Grant, the next outing (an Indiana tournament) brought an injury. Grant is nursing a fractured navicular bone in his right hand. A trip to the ortho will bring more details...

Western Caribbean Cruise

Mike & I embarked on a five day western Caribbean cruise at the end of March. We stopped in Jamaica & Grand Cayman.

Most interesting was the journey to Bob Marley's birth & burial sites. We had a personal tour thru rural Jamaica for the 1 1/2 hour trip on a one-lane road up a mountain. When we arrived, we were entertained by a very unique "singing" tour guide who showed us the house where Bob Marley was born, led us up "Mt Zion" to the 2 room house where he wrote much of his music, and into the mausoleum where he was laid to rest.

In Grand Cayman, we enjoyed shopping and the beautiful Seven Mile Beach. I do not typically enjoy the ocean...but I could have stayed there forever!!

On the ship, we enjoyed the pool, five course meals and spending time with good friends!

Spring Break 2008

So....Spring Break this year meant different things to different people in our family.

Mike & Gina were cruising with friends in the Western Caribbean for 5 beautiful days

While, Grant, Shelby & Libby made some unforgettable memories with Grandaddy & Gracie at home.

THANKS to the grandparents for giving us peace of mind for that week away!

Happy Easter 2008!

In Like a Lion, Out Like A Lamb

March roars in like a lion so fierce,the wind so cold, it seems to pierce.
The month rolls on and Spring draws near,and March goes out like a lamb so dear.

17.7 inches of
snow

I Wonder if they'll
remember the Blizzard of 08'?

Disney Princess Classics

We took Libby to see Disney's Princess Classics on Ice last week. She LOVED seeing the princesses, mostly her

favorite-Ariel!