Ladies Weekend!

Every year, I plan a ladies beach weekend with my girlfriends. This past weekend was our getaway, and we enjoyed every minute! I love you girls! Thanks for such a great time. Kim, we missed you tremendously and hope you are feeling much, much better!

Here are some photos from our scrapbooking weekend. Check out that table (which seats 12 comfortably) and has an enormous lazy susan in the middle for our tools!

SW in C

Okay... so, we (Mommy, Daddy, Boba Fett, and Darth Vader) went to a concert last night that was one of the most fantastic spectacles we had ever seen. We saw Star Wars in Concert, and it was phenomenal. I can't even describe it. The Royal Philharmonic played the Star Wars works of John Williams from all VI episodes.

You can visit the website here. I highly recommend getting tickets. It was unreal.

I have a video of just a couple of minutes at the very beginning, and then a few shots of the show before a Scope Arena worker let me know there was no photography allowed. Whoops. I had seen so many photos online, and they even checked my bag and didn't comment on the camera, that I just figured it was okay!

Anyway...here are a couple photos from the evening and the very beginning of the concert. It truly was probably the best concert I have ever seen.

We are the Dukes of JMU!

Well, Brody has "Wear your favorite Football Jersey" day coming up this coming Friday. Thing is, we are not the football wearing type of family. We don't pledge allegiance to any specific team, so when we got to thinking of a team that we would be most loyal to, it is to our alma mater, JMU. Soooo.... I went online, bought this purple and gold reversable Jersey for Brody, then printed out my own letters and numbers and made him his own Jersey!

:)

Look how cute!

Game Ball

Brody won the game ball at his baseball game last night. He was so proud!

This is What You Get

This is what you get when you try to hide the tupperware container full of Halloween cookies from you kids. This is also what you get for turning on the oven to preheat, then going out onto the back deck and drinking a glass of wine with your neighbor!

Nice, huh?






update: Self-cleaning ovens ROCK!

yay! success!

We got Seth's photo back, and I am so happy with it!

Here is his Fall 3 year old preschool pic!

I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride my bike!

It was a BIG evening in the cul-de-sac! Brody learned to ride on 2 wheels!!!! The training wheels are off and put away, and he is biking!

Our neighbor, Zach, also learned today to ride. What a great evening!

Good job, guys!

Seth School Pic Day!

You never know what you will get back when your kids get their school pics taken, so I usually get some shots of them in the morning before school.

Look at this cutie!

Go Foxes!

Seth had his first soccer game yesterday. He started out great, kicking and running and smiling, until he realized that he wasn't going to get a goal EVERY TIME. Apparently, soccer is no fun for Seth unless he actually kicks it in the goal.

So, in protest of how "everyone else is cheating", he decided to have a stand-in in the middle of the field. Thing is, he was REALLY GOOD when he decided to try!

Oh, well. We have some life lessons to teach, I suppose!

:o)

My advice to new parents...

Never turn your back. Even for 5 minutes.

update--- by the way, WHY in the WORLD does Crayola make markers that are NOT WASHABLE?! Seriously. come on.

Star Wars in Concert

We just got tickets to go see Star Wars in Concert. Just check out the video on the website.

I can't tell you how excited we are... it is a perfect show for our family. Kurt and I will be stoked to hear the symphony play such incredible music, and the kids get to watch Star Wars stuff!

Cool, huh?!

I

can't

wait

!

Soccer Seth!

Seth has started soccer! He had his first practice with The Foxes the other night! Look at the determination in his face!

a MAZE ing

While we were visiting family down in the mountains, we went to an INCREDIBLE farm with an enormous, and rather difficult, corn maze. The farm is Layman Family Farms. They had a ton of stuff to do, and we all had a really fun time.

SIX!

My niece and nephew turned six this past week, and we went down to Blacksburg/Salem/Roanoke to celebrate with them! Happy Birthday, W and M!

Finally, some organization around here!

As much as I would loooooooove to have a beautiful piece of all-wood furniture with a bench and cubbyholes, hooks, mirrors, etc... that is just not in the financial cards... so I have been wracking my brain to think of a way to organize the kids shoes/coats/book bags.

I went to Target today and bought these bookcases and hooks, then used the shoe baskets that we already had!



So, it isn't the most glamorous, and wouldn't be found dead in a Pottery Barn catalog, but here is our new organization wall. I am SO HAPPY that the kids finally have a place to put everything!

Game 1

Well,

The Dodgers played the Phillies today. And there was no score. And no outs. LOL. But everyone had fun!

Brody was the FIRST kid up to bat for the whole season... and he swung and HIT IT! We were all so excited... but not half as excited as he was.

He also got to be the "pitcher" his first time out in the field, so he had a fantastic time at his game!

:)

Yes, at times, the dirt held his interest more than the game.

PaChuck and Seth were quite the cheerleaders.

Here is Brody on the pitchers mound, with the coach.

This is his first hit. It was a foul ball, but we were so proud!!

Later in the game, he hit one in, and here he is on first base. Check out that smile!

He is officially a ball player. Hand on the crotch, and all. And, I just noticed his teammate in the outfield. Too funny.

Here he is running home!

Play Ball!

Brody's first T-Ball (Coach Pitch) game is today! He is so excited! Wish us luck!

We're being invaded!

It must be fall. The Halloween costumes are in! I am hoping these kids dress up EVERY day! At least, then, I will get my money worth! :)

Today is the Big Day!

This is a poem that his teacher gave to us. Although he rode the bus, the feelings are still exactly the same!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------




He started school this morning,
And he seemed so very small.
As I walked there beside him
in the Kindergarten hall.

And as he took his place beside
the others in the class,
I realized how all too soon
those first few years can pass.

Remembering, I saw him as
he first learned how to walk,
The words that we alone made out
when he began to talk.

This little boy so much absorbed
in learning how to write.
It seems as though he must have grown
to boyhood overnight.

My eyes were blurred but hastily
I brushed the tears away
best by some word or sign of mine
I mar his first big day.

Oh how I longed to stay with him
and keep him by the hand
to lead him through the places
that he couldn't understand.

And something closely kin to fear
was mingled with my pride.
I knew he would no longer be
a baby by my side.

But he must have his chance to live,
to work his problems out,
the privilege to grow and learn
what life is all about.

And I must share my little boy
with friends and work and play;

He's not a baby anymore --
He's in Kindergarten today.

We're Groovin'!

Dance Dance Revolution, Disney Grooves has taken hold!

I need some decorating advice!

Okay, a while back, we re-did our kitchen. Now, we have (mostly) all black appliances, and a dark wood on our cabinets.

Our kitchen table and chairs doesn't match.

Since we really don't want to put money toward buying a new set, I have decided to stain/paint the set.

Only problem, I can't decide how I want it to look. The only thing I do know, is that I want to paint the chair legs and backs, not stain them. I DO NOT want to have to worry about sanding them all down to stain.

So, here are the three options... Leave me a comment and let me know which number you think looks best!!!

Current Kitchen:




1. All Black:



2. Stained Table Top




3. Stained Table and Chair Tops

Busch Gardens, again, and again, and again

For some reason, we have been to Busch Gardens more this year than in the past 5 years combined!

Here are just a few photos from one of our outings.


That is Brody in the red standing where the Griffon goes by and sprays water. He stood there FOREVER while we waited for Daddy.

Can You Guess?

What movie do you think we were going to see?




And look what goof balls my kids are.




I LOVE Harbour View for having free movies for kids in the summer!

School Supplies!

Brody will be starting Kindergarten in the fall, and is so excited. We went and bought all of his school supplies the other day. Look how proud he is!