The Life and Times

Wow...it's been a while. Guess I have gotten caught up in this thing called "life." Let's see...the last thing I blogged was our holiday events. I'll just pick things up there. January brought a horrible ice storm to the area. Here is some footage of the damage in our neighborhood alone. Others places were hit much worse. Luckily we only lost some branches - and of course electricity for four days!

Jordan also began basketball at this time. After trying soccer and t-ball, he has decided that he enjoys basketball the best. It was a fun season!

February we celebrated Jordan's 6th birthday! He is still into superheroes. This year it was Superman. He has become quite the artist as well. He loves to draw and create things. We also found out through some testing that Jordan has a high I.Q. and has been accepted into the gifted program at school. Eric and I just stand amazed and speechless!

Finally in March the weather started to warm up some although there were still plenty of cold days even into April. It's always a relief when Spring comes knocking at the door. In April, my parents were able to come for a visit which we all enjoyed immensely. Madison then had her turn to celebrate a birthday - #9! We had a party the week my parents were here and then on her actual birthday, she invited a few of her friends out to her Aunt Gail's farm for some more fun! Madison has almost completed third grade and has been on the honor roll throughout the school year. She loves to read, especially mystery stories.

Well, now it's already May. Last weekend we buzzed around here getting Autumn ready for her big dance recital. Madison performed in this 4 years ago, so it all came back to me - the hair, makeup, costume. A lot of work but a lot of fun! You'll enjoy these pictures of her. Autumn is still our little pistol always having an incredible amount of energy and zeal for life.

It's hard to believe that Eric will be headed home in a month although we don't expect him on our doorstep until mid-June. We then plan on enjoying a much needed family vacation.

Here is some pictures capturing our holiday fun....

Madison singing with her school choir

Shopping for toys for tots

Christmas morning

Special moments with Dad

Early winter fun in the snow........

At the beginning of December we got a few inches of snow - enough to cancel school so the kids could get out and have some fun. Too cold for me....I stayed inside by the fire!

Madison and Jordan each enjoyed a Fall party celebration at the school. Contrary to traditional room parties, the school has begun having parties in the gym with various stations featuring arts and crafts, games, and snacks. All of the grades go in for their party at designated times. Even though individual room parties are more intimate, I actually prefer the gym setting which allows me to enjoy both of the kids' parties rather than having to run between the two rooms.

arts and crafts

snacktime

yum yum

arts and crafts

Can you believe that Autumn is 4 years old? The time has gone by SO fast! We have always had her birthday celebrations at our house, so this year we thought we would go all out - Chuck E Cheese - dinner and entertainment provided! Plus THEY clean up the mess. Now that's what I call a party! Here are a few pictures highlighting Autumn's day!

Last weekend we went out to our Aunt Gail's house for some Fall fun. She had everything from apple bobbing, to horse riding, to a pinata. All three kids - and the adults - had lots of laughs.

The kids and I went to a nearby amusement park a few weeks ago. The weather was great, making it a nice Saturday getaway.

Wow!...we have been nothing but busy around here now that school is underway. Both Madison and Jordan are doing well and really like their teachers. Madison recently auditioned and was accepted into JT Singers, which is the school choir. That requires arriving at school 30 minutes earlier, so we've had to adjust our schedule a little. Autumn too has finally began preschool - today in fact. I've posted a few pictures of her first day. She has also started dance class which she is excited about. I figured that she could use some dance lessons being that she parades around the house all day in her leotard and tutu.

Our summer has been full .... full of family, adventure, and fun. And though the season is not officially over, the time has come to put our summer break behind us and move into another school year. Madison, now a seasoned veteran, has begun the third grade. This year Jordan joined the fun as a Kindergartner. With three days under their belt, they are both enjoying new teachers and new challenges.

Even though I am now left alone with only one at home, I cannot fully relish the quiet and slower pace that you might imagine. You see, Autumn is my fireball, full of life and lots of energy. There is no quiet and no slowing down with her. But there is less fighting and arguing without Brother and Sister at home to compete for my attention. And so, Autumn and I have very much enjoyed our time alone together thus far. I think this year will be a pivotal time for preparing her for preschool and directing her energy in the right direction.

Thought I'd share a few pictures of the kids off to their first day of school.

All ready for a new year

Look out Kindergarten..here comes Jordan!

One of the "big kids" now! Don't my new glasses
make me look smart?

Our Summer travels continue.... a week after I returned home from Nicaragua, the kids and I headed to New York for two weeks. We had a great visit with family and also got some camping in. The kids had a fun time with cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and great-grandparents.