Merry Christmas 2010!

From our family to yours, we wish you the merriest of Christmases.  I have so much to share, so much to talk about and this poor blog has stood neglected.  If you even check on it once in a while, it's coming back to life, starting tomorrow.  There's so much excitement that I can't contain myself and I've missed blogging the way you miss journaling, or taking pictures -- like a hobby that brings joy, but organizes my thoughts and rejuvenates.  I know it's silly to say it that way, but oh how I miss it.  More soon!

Recycle! Matt's Kindergarten Performance

Matt's line was:  "E is for the Earth: the place we live and love."  :)  It was really a cute and peppy show!

Danny's Zoo Fieldtrip

Danny had his last fieldtrip of his preschool year.  In fact, he only has one month left on his preschool year.  Can you believe how big he's getting?  He's ready to head to Kindergarten.  Wow, huh?

Anyway, his class left for Mill Mountain Zoo, and I went with them.  We had so much fun together.  The animals were very playful (I always come when they are sleeping) and we found out that the prairie dogs are coming later in the spring!!  Some of the animals were eating breakfast and some were playing with various toys in their pens.  We even saw monkeys grooming each other (and eating the bugs!)  Super-fun!

Ice Cream!!!!

Marco . . . Polo: First Swim Lessons at Green Ridge

The boys have officially started swimming lessons.  They had only four kids in their group and two of them were a bit hysterical about getting into the water.  Half of the boys' first lesson was trying to convince the two others to get into the water.  But the half that was focused on them they LOVED.  They want to swim.  They're ready to let out their inner fish.  !!  They keep asking when they get to go back and the idea of waiting a whole week feels like waiting for Christmas!  Adorable.  They have always loved the water and Ray has always done such a good job of calming their fears and making the pool as much fun as possible.  I think that's what gave them the confidence they had going into their first lessons.  

Maybe by the time we go to the beach, they'll be swimming up a storm!

Is It Love?

They appear to be the exact same size, Shelley and Danny.  And they spent all morning like this -- side by side on Shelley's dog bed.  Adorable.

Matt's First Sleepover

Last night was Matt's very first time having a friend sleep over at the house.  It was even fun for Ray and I as we kept listening closely all night to make sure every body was all right.  Matt and Danny had so much fun that they are already planning future sleepovers and asking funny questions, like why can't girls spend the night?  *laughs*

Doesn't this picture look like an ad for Ginger Ale?  *laughs*  They were taking a drink break, and posed for the shot.  They were having a blast running around the park.

Matt loves to run, and that's one of the binding traits in these two boys -- running and playing hard!

We attempted to begin making Easter houses (like ginger bread houses, but chocolate).  The icing was hard to maneuver, so it was quickly tossed for playing outside!

After watching a late night movie and eating popcorn, we got our sleeping bags ready with flashlights!  Owyn was saying goodnight to his mom on the phone while I snapped this picture.  

Meanwhile, the boys have left the toddler clothing section; Matt's having a sleepover; he's learning to read in school; we starting swim lessors and having football in a couple of months.  It's enough to make a girl cry seeing how big they're getting!!!