Six Year Old Saturday

Guess who's been riding her bike without training wheels--long distances-- for over a week now? My big girl is growing up before my eyes! We have enjoyed every minute of being home together this summer but I think my girl is ready for first grade. She is on the countdown for back to school and squealed when I told her there are only three weeks left(2 weeks for me!!) before she starts school! I've done a little school supply shopping for her and she is definitely her mother's daughter. She is so excited about her Crayola crayons, new notebooks, backpack, lunchbox, and really everything I've gotten her! She also cannot wait to get new shoes!! Luckily, she wears uniforms so we don't have to do too much clothes shopping!!

She has been so helpful lately and amazes me everyday!

I love my girl!!

Flashback Friday

I had a chance to look through some pictures at my parent's house while I stayed there for a few days. My mom has all of her pictures so organized and in albums...so proud of you mom! Some of the pics were hilarious...why oh why did I think a perm was a good idea and why did my mom let me have one in 1st grade? All I have to say is the movie Annie was very popular in the early 80's and apparently I had to jump on that bandwagon. It's so much fun to look back and remember how things were. Emma likes to call those pictures "the old days". Silly girl!

My twin brother and I have our birthday this week so I wanted to get a couple of "oldies but goodies" to share on the ol' blog later this week. I also found some others that I couldn't resist having my mom scan for me! Since I missed Way Back When-esday this week I thought I would do a little flashback Friday with a couple of family pics. Back when it was just the 5 of us. Now we are a family of 17 +1 due in January!!

The 80's

The first picture was in 1982 when my brother and I were the flower girl and ring bearer in my cousin's wedding! I LOVED that dress and I also love hearing my mom tell the story of how my brother decided to give himself a haircut just a couple of days before the wedding!
The 90's

This was in the spring of 97. My sister was making her Confirmation in 8th grade and Michael and I were in college. I look at this picture and remember those fans with the silk flowers hung on our walls for forever...it must have been a 90's thing! They are probably still in my parent's attic though. Also, my mom had really long hair that hung all the way down her back. I forget about it until I look back at these pics!

I just love looking back and can't wait to share some baby pics of my brother and I in celebration of our 34th birthday this week!!

Downtown Disney

The kids and I took a "mini-vacation" to stay with my parents for a few days. It's always so much fun to spend time with my parents and my sister and her family too.

We went to dinner at Chevy's on Tuesday night. I think my sister is having a major pregnancy craving for mexican. Have I mentioned I'm going to have a new niece or nephew in January!?! We are beyond thrilled!! I don't mind joining her in those cravings(minus the pregnancy of course!)...dinner was delicious! After dinner we headed to Downtown Disney. I have been wanting to take Max to the Lego store. He is obsessed with Legos right now!! I just signed him up for the Lego Jr. magazine and I know he will "read" it all day long when it arrives in the mail. His eyes were huge when he saw all the legos. He is still talking about it and can't wait until we go back. We're pretty excited about the Legoland theme park that will be opening close to us in October too! We had fun doing some shopping at the World of Disney, riding the train, and walking around. Despite the humidity and massive amounts of people...it was a great night! I let the kids choose one small souvenir.(since we were going to the Magic Kingdom the next day) Max chose a pirate set and Emma chose a Minnie hat.

The girls...

Emma and Allie

The boys...

Max and Noah

outside the Lego store

building with legos takes concentration

racing his car

ready to race again

Aunt Brooke is the lego master!! She worked at this store years ago! She was trying to help Allie with her car and show off her lego building skills!! ha ha

riding the train

Gram and Noah

Noah can't wait until he's big enough to ride the train!

Papaw and the boys(my poor dad-he gets up VERY early to go to work and was exhausted but still wanted to go out with his grandkids!!)

Emma was all smiles after going by Bippity Boppity salon and getting some glitter in her hair!

We can't wait to go back to Downtown Disney in the fall...when there are less people and the weather is cooler.

our weekend

This weekend was so much fun! Really, aren't they all!?! Especially when my hubby doesn't have to work! The kids love waking up and having Daddy home and so do I!

Saturday we woke up and Damian made a big breakfast of pancakes, bacon, and eggs. Then we spent a couple of hours in the pool. I am shocked and amazed with how well Max has been swimming!! And of course Emma wanted to stay there all day. I did a little housework, some laundry, and a quick shopping trip to TJMaxx and Walmart. Fun times over here! Damian took the kids to the golf course to hit some balls and run around.

Saturday night I had a girls night out!!! Can I get a whoop...whoop!! I honestly cannot remember the last time I had one of those. I'm thinking it was probably before Max was born...that is so sad!! Needless to say it was a much needed girls night out for all of us mommies!! I was so excited when my friend Jessi invited me to go out with her and a few friends. We met up with Shannon, Erica, and Gina for dinner at Bonefish Grill. The food was delish and we had so much fun chatting it up. After dinner, we headed to Prime bar where Kim met up with us too! We had some drinks and just enjoyed hanging out with the girls. There was a lot of mom talk and at one point I felt really old because the music was so loud I couldn't hear myself. I just had to laugh! We stayed out until almost 1 am. This mommy was so tired the next day! I can't wait to do it again!!

Sunday was church in the morning,(after sleeping in!!) grocery shopping at Publix: we had Publix subs for lunch--yummo!, and then we had a little get together in the afternoon with the Switzer's and some other friends. The kids had fun with Brody, Connor, and Zander swimming and playing together. The guys played cornhole and it was so HOT outside...everyone was dripping with sweat. We enjoyed some good fun and a relaxing night despite the heat and humidity.

All in all it was another great weekend! Today was a stay in your jammies until lunch time kind of day for us! I'm taking advantage of these days since school will be starting in just a few short weeks.

Tomorrow I'm going to try to do a little shopping for Max's birthday party! So excited to see what I can find!! We're going to go to the Magic Kingdom on Wednesday since last week we had to cancel and spend the day in the dentist office instead. I'm looking forward to getting together with my team from school on Thursday morning for a training.

Cookie Monsters

Last night the kids and I baked some chocolate chip cookies. Yummy!! Now I just need to have Damian take them to work for his guys so we don't eat them all!

I love to bake...cooking...not so much. But I could bake every single day. I definitely get that from my mom and grandma. They are always baking. It's such a stress reliever to me and I love baking with the kids. They always have so much fun and so do I!

Max did a little bit of pouting when they had to take turns but it only lasted a few minutes.

**I realized after I took these pics that Emma has on makeup from her day at Baba and Grandpop's house. They spent a few hours there while I took Damian took the dentist. They had a blast and cried when it was time to leave. Somehow Emma always manages to get into Baba's makeup and perfume. I assure you she doesn't wear it in public. But she is my girly girl!! I still remember when I was a little girl and I would always dress-up and wear my grandma's makeup when we went to their house.** Ok enough of the disclaimer back to the baking!

The kids favorite part of baking=eating chocolate chips!

We turned these cookies into ice cream sandwiches. We highly recommend Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla ice cream...delicious!

I also have to add that while the cookies were baking Emma decided that they needed to exercise. So, she went upstairs and changed both her and Max into "workout clothes". You can see their outfits in the last pic. It was so funny! Damian and I were laughing so hard! Especially with Emma and her tank top that she decorated with markers and her knee socks and twinkle toes. I should have taken some more pics. They got out their mats and did yoga, jumping jacks, sit-ups, push-ups, and a few other things. Then they asked if I would turn on exercise tv. They love that channel. So they did the hip hop routine--which I really should have video taped. Emma did the belly dancing routine too. We should probably lock the doors now for when that girl is a teenager--she is too much!

We are looking forward to a relaxing weekend spent together. I always love weekends that Damian doesn't have to work! I think I'm having some beach withdrawals so maybe we'll head over for a few hours. We also have some plans with some friends and hopefully some time spent doing nothing!

Way Back When-esday: Letting go

I just love looking back and remembering when my babies were small. It's true what they say...they grow so fast. Thank goodness I wrote everything down in Emma's baby book or I wouldn't remember all those little details that are so precious to me now.

I came across these pics of Emma and I just love them!! Those big blue eyes and her little curls melt my heart! Most of Emma's baby and toddler pictures are saved on cd's. (that I believe are packed in a box somewhere!) That was back in the day when I had to drop off my film and get it developed and I would usually get a cd made too. Oh, how I love modern technology! My camera sd card is amazing!

I also remember this time so well. It's when my baby girl was taking her first steps at 10 months old. She walked for the first time on her own in August of '05. Right around when these pics were taken. It's hard to believe this was almost 6 years ago.

I'm linking up with Cheryl at Twinfatuation...it's so much to reminisce!

Tales of a Three Year Old

I've said it before but I could seriously eat this boy's freckles up...they are just the sweetest! Max has been surprising me lately. He's a pretty stubborn boy but he's actually been trying new things. He's been swimming with his head under the water without a life jacket or any floaties...talk about being brave. He's also been trying new foods which is BIG for us. He usually sticks to his favorites and tells me everything else is too yucky for him. He ate onion rings and fried green tomatoes at a BBQ place after we left the beach...D and I were shocked!

He's such a little charmer and is often overheard telling Emma "you look pretty" or "you're the best sister ever". And he always takes breaks from playing to give me hugs and kisses and tell me he loves me. He also yells this out to me when he's laying down for a nap. I love it!!

His vocabulary has increased so much, I think this is due to the fact that we are home and he has his big sister to teach him so many new things. (and his mommy too!)

He loves babies!! He can't stop talking about his baby cousin Noah and our friend's new baby Cael. He wants to see pictures and kiss them constantly.

He also still loves to play baseball, golf, and wrestle with his daddy. He was so excited to go to the driving range on Sunday while Emma and I went to my friend Jennifer's baby shower. He has been talking all about the range this week.

He had a blast at a playdate with his buddy Brody yesterday. They are definitely all boy and had fun playing superheroes!

I'm loving being home with my boy(and girl) this summer!!

Mommy and Me Monday

We're looking forward to another fun-filled week at our house! We have some playdates planned today and possibly on Thursday, the kids are going to spend the day with Baba and Grandpop tomorrow~I plan to go to the DMV to get my license renewed, apparently I have to take a ton of paperwork to get this done and I'm also planning a trip to Target all by myself~this rarely happens. We are going to the Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios on Wednesday with my sister and her kiddos!

It should be another good week! I also need to start doing a little planning for Max's birthday in a month and thinking about getting ready for the beginning of school. I know it will be here before I know it!

I love these pictures below because I was trying to get a couple of pics of the kids together and they just would not look at the camera at the same time. I also wanted one of me with both kids but Max was too busy playing with his cousins.I hope everyone has a fantastic week!

Six Year Old Saturday

I just love these pics of my girl from the beach!

We are having such a great summer!

I cannot believe it's the middle of July already. In another month school will be starting again. I love summer break but I also love getting back into a normal routine again.
The beginning of school is such an exciting time...although it did just about break my heart to see school supplies already out in the stores.

Emma has had so much fun the past few days with her cousins Allie and Noah and of course little bro Max too. We had lunch at Red Robin, did a little shopping, played at the splash park and of course the girls loved to play dress-up and hair salon! We also met up with my in-laws last night for dinner so the kids saw their grandparents, uncle, aunt, and cousins. The kids always have so much fun together. We made some plans for them to get together next week and Emma is already counting down the days on her calendar.

This weekend should be pretty relaxing. Hanging out with the family, swimming later~if it doesn't rain.(which it usually does every afternoon in Florida in July!)

I have got to get caught up on my laundry from our vacation.I've been putting it off long enough.

Not to mention grocery shopping and getting a few little things for tomorrow. I have a baby shower for my good friend Jennifer! I am soooo excited to celebrate baby Ethan!!

Beach Vacation: Family Pics

I was excited to get some family pics together.

We got a really good group shot on my mom's camera.

Trying to get all the kids to smile and cooperate for a picture wasn't an easy task especially since there weren't many naps taken. (by the kids)

Beach Vacation:Beach & Resort pics

Here are some pics at the Beach, a "fancy" anniversary dinner for my parents, and hanging out in the condo.

Beach Vacation: Pool Pics

I honestly cannot say enough about our family beach vacation. It really was so much fun! All 9 kids were so well behaved and had the time of their life. The resort was Amazing!! It was the perfect place for our family. We spent A LOT of time in the pool at the resort. Well...actually three of the pools. The majority of the time was at the "kid's pool" where the water slide and lazy river were located. We also had some rain one afternoon so the indoor pool was a hit. My favorite pool had a little beach in front of the pool and the kids loved playing in the sand and jumping in the pool. I didn't take many pictures at that pool because I was in the water most of the time.

There are many more fun pics to come!

Way Back When-esday: Best Cousins Forever

Well, it's back to the reality of life after our family beach vacation to Hammock Beach Resort in Palm Coast, Florida.

We had so much fun celebrating my parent's 35th wedding anniversary with the whole family. We made so many memories that will last a lifetime~and I have over 300 pictures to sort through!!

I feel like I am having vacation withdrawal. I wish I was still sitting poolside at that beautiful resort. I need to get back in the swing of things so I thought I would pull out a fun old picture of Emma and her cousin Hannah. Emma just loves Hannah and her twin brother Joshua so much...actually all her cousins but these two are only 3 months younger than Emma so they've been especially close and they spent their first few years together every day. We were fortunate to have Aunt Christine babysit.

Emma and Hannah are the best of friends and always have so much fun together!

This picture was taken in July 2007. The girls were 2 1/2 years old.

This was taken at one of many sleepovers.

This was taken at the resort July 2011~ 6 1/2 years old

I can only imagine how much they will grow in the next four years..yikes...I wish time would s.l.o.w. down!



Stay tuned for vacation pictures. We're going to meet up with some friends today for the free movies and spend some time with cousins later this week but I'll get them on here at some point!


I'm linking up with Cheryl at Twinfatuation. It's so much fun to reminisce!

More fun on the Fourth and some randomness...

I am loving these collages...as you can probably tell! They only take a couple of minutes and they are so easy and fun to put together.

We had so much fun this weekend! I was planning on taking the kids to the free summer movies today but we decided to just hang out at home and relax after our busy weekend. We spent all morning in our jammies. Damian came home for lunch today and surprised me...we were still in our pj's and snuggling on the couch looking through the kid's baby picture albums.

They LOVE to look at these and hear me tell them stories.

Our good friends Cathy and Jon welcomed their new baby boy this morning so we have been all about baby talk. We can't wait to meet him on Friday! I'm also excited because I won the baby pool from her shower...I was the closest on the date and I got the gender right!

The kids have enjoyed playing together, dancing to Emma's Justin Bieber cd, coloring, and using their playdough ice cream shop.

Emma has been dressing up again too...today she was a bride and a vet. She talked Max into bringing his stuffed puppy to get checked out and be given shots.

While they have been playing so nicely, I have been hooked on the Casey Anthony trial.I have to admit that I really haven't watched any of it but it is so close to my home that it's just a little crazy and of course it's been on every news channel. Her family lives less than 30 minutes away from where I grew up.I have been sick to my stomach all day and really cannot believe that she was found Not Guilty. I am in awe and shocked and heartbroken for that sweet little Caylee Marie. My only hope is some day justice will be served.

I have a few things planned for the next couple of days that I am really excited about...one of those things being holding my nephew Noah as much as I can!!