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!

A Night as a RockStar

Shelby spent last night living the life of a RockStar! Several months ago, we entered her & Grant in a contest at Tim Horton's. Just before Christmas, we got a call that Shelby had won! She was the "Tim Horton's Stick Kid of the Game" @ a Blue Jackets game.

Here's what she won!

A Team Jersey, A SIGNED stick, she sat on the bench during team warm-ups, and rode the Zamboni during the 2nd intermission. WOW!

She even got to high-five Jason Chimera #25!! She must have brought him some good luck....because CBJ won 6-4 over the St Louis Blues! Way to Go Shelby!!

Favorite Holiday Moments

We had a wonderful holiday. The Howard family visited with us on Dec 23rd and that was great! The Smart family (a.k.a. Gina's family) came to stay on New Year's Eve. It is so much fun to have the kids be with their cousins (old & young). I wish we lived closer so they could experience it more.

In between the visits, we travelled to Hamilton & Brantford, Ontario for the Wayne Gretzky International Hockey tournament. It was a fun experience to travel to Canada...but I was glad to be back in the USA.

Here are some photos from Christmas & New Year's!

Merry Christmas 2007!

A Big Girl Haircut

Libby got her first all-over haircut last night. We trimmed the bangs and about an inch off the back. She was so-o-o-o-o excited to get her haircut by Mrs. Haynes!

Winter Wonderland

Visions of Sugar Plums danced...

The tree is up! The candy is plenty...

We had to move the dish within 30 minutes of this picture!

Happy Thanksgiving!

An Apple A Day

An apple a day keeps the doctor away

Apple in the morning - Doctor's warning

Roast apple at night - starves the doctor outright

Eat an apple going to bed - knock the doctor on the head

Three each day, seven days a week - ruddy apple, ruddy cheek

My kids just don't eat that healthy...I'll admit, it's my fault. This morning I decided to add some nutrition to the otherwise lacking waffles!

When the Howard's are presented with Banana, Apple, Cinnamon Waffles the result:

1 Husband="Delicious"

1 Son=Loves them...Until he finds out the ingredients. Immediately stops eating.

1 Daughter=One bite. "Something tastes funny". No more bites.

1 Daughter="These are good!!"