Merry Christmas!

more holiday fun...

With Christmas right around the corner, there have been lots of fun holiday things to do. From the town tree lighting, to Christmas on the water, to hanging lights on the house, we have been busy little elves!


We girls enjoyed our afternoon at the Junior Auxilary Holly Day Tea.



Haley and Jenna did a fabulous job decorating this gingerbread house.


The Kindergarten had a gingerbread-building party, too. Yum! Few could resist licking their fingers or nibbling on a candy or two!

A visit from St. Nick...

The Kindergarten had a special treat today--snack time with Santa! He was there with Tatonuts and milk for everyone. Yum!! They each got a turn spending a few minutes chatting with Santa and having their picture taken. Even big sister, Haley, snuck out of class for a few minutes to visit Jenna and Santa. She didn't tell him her Christmas wish though; it's already in the letter.

...how lovely are thy branches...

We are very excited to have a real Christmas tree this year. It smells WONDERFRUL! In fact, I think it's that fragrance that enticed us. The girls were spending the night at the cousins', and Henry and I went shopping at Lowe's. The scent of the trees lured us over, and the next thing we knew, we were loading an eight foot tree into the Camry. (Yes, the Camry. Why take the minivan when it's just the two of us?) We surprised the girls when they came home the next day. They still can't picture how we got THAT into the living room. Of course, they wanted to decorate it right away. Luckily, the lights were already half up, so they didn't have too long to wait. They did most of it on their own...and what a great job they did! It looks fabulous!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Our Soccer Player

Lobster Feast!

We girls always miss dad when he is away on business. This time, he tried to make up for it with LOBSTERS. I guess that is a benefit to traveling to Maine!

Our "New" Home

Great Leader's Day

On this election day, students voted for president and also visited with great leaders of the past. Connection students like Haley researched a great leader then dressed up and presented during an all-day fair. Susan B. Anthony was a good match for Haley--both are strong, opinionated, girls-can-do-anything individuals that go after what they want. Susan B. looked great standing there with her "I Voted!" sticker on her dress. The real Susan B. would have been very proud.


The Susan B. Anthony profile pose--just like the dollar coin!


Great work, Haley!

Happy Halloween!

A Visit from The Tooth Fairy

Jenna lost her first tooth Friday night. After brushing her teeth for bed, she gave it a little wiggle and it fell right out! She was very excited. She showed it to everyone in the family, then wrapped it in a tissue and put it right under her pillow. As I tucked her into bed, so proudly told me, "I'm a big girl."


In the morning, Jenna was thrilled to find a gold dollar coin under her pillow and a certificate at the foot of her bed. Haley was proud of her little sister...look at this great photo she took!

Jenna's Wiggly Tooth

Jenna has been saying for a while now that she has a wiggly tooth, but no one has been able to tell except her. Well, after chomping into an ear of corn on Sunday, the wiggling is noticable to EVERYONE. So, just how much longer until it falls out?

A New Cousin!

Haley and Jenna were happy to meet their newest cousin, Emma Linh. She was born Friday, October 17, 2008. She arrived at 9:14 p.m.; weighs 6 pounds, 4 ounces; measures 19 1/2 inches long; and has lots of black hair. Congratulations Phuong, Kiet, and big brother Adam! She's beautiful!

Disney World

Before viewing this slideshow, please go to the Playlist on the right side bar and click on "When You Wish Upon a Star."

Finally Five!

Jenna is finally five! She has been counting down the days for such a long time!


The thunderstorms stopped just in time for Jenna's birthday party at the new spray park. Funny enough, Jenna planned a "Weather Pary" this year, complete with a lightning pinata and a rainbow cake. Mother Nature provided us with both sun and rain showers during the birthday party. The kids didn't care when the rain started up again; they were already wet!



Everyone had a great time playing in the fountains and on the playground. The pinata was a big hit...even with the guests attending the party at the next picnic table!


Swing, Jenna, swing!


Make a wish! Happy Birthday to you!

First Day of School

Today was the first day of school. Jenna has been waiting for this day for such a long time--she finally got to ride the school bus and go to Kindergarten! Haley was equally excited to start back, to see old friends and meet new ones.

"GO SLOW"

Henry and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary with a trip to Caye Caulker, Belize. This tiny barrier island has the motto, "Go Slow," and that's exactly what we did for an entire week! We biked the narrow dirt roads through town; read in hammocks with views of the Carribbean Sea; and snorkled with the manatee, stingray, sea turtles, and fish that live in the incredible barrier reef off of Central America. We had a wonderful time together. Now we are asking each other "Which island shall we explore for our 20th?"

Happy Birthday, Haley!

Our little girl turned 7! We can't believe how grown-up she is!

Haley celebrated at the Mud Shack and park with two favorite friends, then again at home with mom, dad, and sister.

The best part of her big day?? Her own digital camera! Smile, everyone!

Visit to Connecticut

We had a great time visiting family in Connecticut. The girls especially enjoyed playing with Grandma and the cousins.

Camping together at Prospect Lake Park is a yearly tradition full of swimming, fishing, boating, s'more toasting, and piling kids (and Uncle Hank!) into a tent. This year it included frog-catching, fairy house-building at the dam site, and dodging the rain.

We had a fun cousin-day at Six Flags Over New England, where Haley conquered some "big rides" with Hannah and Thomas as well as little ones with Julie. (Jenna opted for a relaxing day of videos and games with Pop-Pop and Grandma.)

Haley rode this one 3 times....and stayed dried until trip #3 when she got DRENCHED! You can tell by the smile (below), that the water only added to the thrill!


Another highlight of the trip was a trip to the mall with Grandma--complete with a carousel ride and a visit to Build-A-Bear Workshop.

The Blessing of the Fleet

What a beautiful day to spend by the water! We always enjoy watching the shrimp boats parade by to receive a blessing for a safe and bountiful season. We made the most of the day, both on the boat and at the club pool.



The girls had fun releasing a bucket of shrimp back into the ocean. The guy with the boat next to ours will wonder where all his bait went...."BE FREE! BE FREE!"

We found our spot to watch the parade and anchored. While we waited for it to begin, Dad jumped in to do some dirty work...scraping barnacles from the hull. On deck, the girls painted watercolor scenes.

There were plenty of colorfully decorated boats this year, both shrimp boats like this one and pleasure craft.

The kids decided they wanted to jump in, too! They had a blast floating in their life vests just off the boat.

Ahh! The pool! The whole family enjoyed a good long swim. It was hot, and we had earned it! Haley had non-stop fun in the water, playing and swimming with boundless energy. Jenna was determined that she no longer wants to wear a floaty-suit, so she started her own "swimming practice" and actually learned to swim a short distance on her own!