Strickland Family News

New Strickland on the way!!

2011-02-16T10:36:00.003-05:00

In early December we were surprised to find out that our family of 4 would be growing to 5! Little Strick is due to arrive Aug 15th, 2011. There will be nine years between baby and big sister Angie, so we're hoping to have lots of help from the big sisters. This is a bad copy of the 8-week ultrasound picture taken with my cell phone, but I thought it looked really cute. Auntie Amy says it looks like a gummy bear, or maybe a turtle. Either way this little bearturtle seems to be able to eat like Daddy, because I find myself hungry practically all the time!

We are all thrilled about this coming addition, even though it means I lose my office space. =) So far things are going well. I'm moving past the "feeling nauseous all the time" phase and starting to feel better and have more energy. We should be finding out the baby's gender in early April, so stay tuned!

We're Back!

2011-02-16T10:25:00.002-05:00

Uh... wow... I was surprised to see how long it had been since my last post. No excuses. I've decided that it's time to get back on the bandwagon. Lots is happening in the Strickand household, and I prefer to update my family and special friends through here instead of only on Facebook. Obviously, there's too much to cover all at once, so I'll just post a little tidbit here and there. Here's to hoping I stick with it this time. Cheers!

2009-11-04T22:58:00.003-05:00

Can you spot the real kitty?? This was the girls having fun with their "cats" and also with the camera. I had no idea they'd taken these pictures until weeks later. Pretty cute!

Sofie Milestone

2009-11-02T21:52:00.001-05:00

We hit a milestone with our puppy, Sofie today! This was the first day she's been able to stay all day in her crate without any potty accidents. For those of you with puppy experience, you understand what an awesome thing this is. I was ecstatic when I got home to find her still clean and dry. No messes to clean up! Woo hoo!!

She is currently 5 1/2 months old. From what friends have said, this is about the time we expected her to start being able to do this. She is much more solid with the housetraining as well, with only an occasional accident, usually as a result of us humans not paying attention to her subtle body language and signals.

We are trying to train her to bump a bell with her nose that we have hanging from the door knob, but so far she doesn't seem to be making that connection very well. With time, perhaps she will pick it up.

NaBloPoMo

2009-11-02T10:03:00.001-05:00

In honor of National Blog Posting Month, I am commiting to getting back into the habit of posting to this blog on a regular basis. Thank you, LP, for posting this on your blog so that I'd hear about it. =0)

Halloween 2009

2009-11-01T09:01:00.001-05:00

Halloween was a lot of fun. The weather couldn't have been better, we met some great new people, the girls looked awesome in their costumes, and there was no sibling fighting (thanks to Ally spending most of the evening with her friends).

Ally went Trick-or-Treating with her friend Samantha from across the street, and her new "very good friend" Nathan from school. N's parents took on the threesome and drove them to two neighboring subdivisions, choosing to follow in the car rather than try to keep up with the running group of candy monsters.The three of them came back with at least 8-10 lbs of candy each!!

Ally was dressed as the vampire Jane of the Volturi, from the Twilight Series. Obviously, Angie dressed as Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz.

Angie stayed behind to eat some pizza, but was soon invited out to join a group of about 10 little munchkins that visited our house and just about cleaned out our candy bowl. We turned out the lights and joined the mob, puppy dog leading the way. No, that is not lipstick on her lips... we think she found some red frosting on the ground somewhere... hmmm....

This is Angie's buddy, Cooper. He lives in our neighborhood, and is also in Angie's class at school. He invited her to join his little clan after she'd given out candy to all of them.

Ma and Pa Strickland stopped by for a few minutes to see the girls and to share some goodies.

State Fair 2009

2009-10-20T10:06:00.001-04:00

We had a great time at the fair, as we always do. It was quite chilly again this year, but fortunately not windy like last year. We spent most of our time on the midway with the girls, and sampled lots of tasty fair food. Here are a few pics from our day.

Grand Canyon Skywalk

2009-07-12T11:09:00.002-04:00

When in Vegas we took a day tour out to the west rim of the Grand Canyon. In this picture we are standing on the new skybridge that extends out beyond the edge of the cliff and also has a glass floor so that you can look down into the canyon below. It was an amazing experience, and definitely raised our heartrates as we walked out over the edge and looked past our feet, far down below to the bottom. It sends chills up your spine.

The rock formation you see behind us is called Eagle rock because it looks like an eagle with it's wings spread. Very cool!

First Wedding Picture

2009-07-10T08:24:00.002-04:00

We're still working on getting our pics from the photographer at the wedding, but here's a preview. More to come!

Picture from the airplane headed to Spain

2009-07-02T20:29:00.002-04:00

Ally and Angie are spending a few weeks in Spain this summer with their Spanish family. Have a safe flight and a wonderful visit! We miss you girls!

Washington D.C. Trip

2009-06-16T16:16:00.019-04:00

The weekend of June 6th my best friend from college was in DC for her husband's family reunion. I took Friday off of work, took the girls out of school, and drove up to DC to see them. It was so great to see Lyndee again... it's been way too long since the last visit. We had a wonderful time with her, Dan, and their son Lincoln, who is almost 4 years old.

We left town bright and early Friday morning and arrived at our meeting place around 2pm (after sitting in traffic for an extra hour due to an accident). We arrived just in time to grab some lunch at Chipotle and then proceeded to the metro so we could head into the city. The girls got a kick riding the metro, especially when we suddenly dropped underground into a dark tunnel. Ally thought it was funny to hang from the overhead bar and let the momentum of the train swing her legs out from under her. (Yes, she is tall enough to reach the bar on the ceiling!) The weather was chilly and rainy, and I definitely did not plan for that... I dressed the girls in summer clothes and flip-flops... oops. Before the afternoon was over we had to make a stop to get some socks, a sweatshirt, and some tennies. Ridiculous. Anyway, some of the things we got to see on the first day were: the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Korean War Memorial. We topped off the evening with dinner at ESPN Zone and got back to our rooms pretty late. We stayed at Dan's Uncle's Retirement home across the Potomac in McLean, VA. It worked out very nicely, as it was only a couple of miles from a metro station and outside the hub-bub of DC. It was nearly midnight by the time we got to sleep, then we were up again at 6am to get showered and head back to the city for breakfast and a "Duck" Tour. This is where we rode around on a funny little bus that looks like a boat on wheels... getting a little tour of the city... then we drove right into the Potomac River and the bus became an actual boat. This was definitely a first for me, and we really got a kick out of it. As we were cruising along the river, the driver handed out "quackers" which are extremely loud devices you blow like a whistle to make a quacking sound. Naturally, the kids thought this was the best part of the tour. Our driver was very knowledgeable and I really enjoyed learning so much about the local history and architecture. I would highly recommend a guided tour of DC if you haven't done it already.

After that we walked the streets a little, trying to figure out what to do next. We wanted to go inside the National Archives, but the line was very long and about a 45 minute wait. Instead of that, we decided to cross the street and check out the Museum of Natural History. WOW... was that an awesome place. It was a bit overwhelming at first, trying to figure out where to start since we only planned on staying for a short while. We hit the mammals first, and I was so impressed with how much time and detail they put into the hundreds of life size models. After that we stopped in to see some dinosaur bones, then grabbed a quick lunch in the cafe. Can I just say... it's no wonder the museum is free... they must make a killing off of what they charge for food in there. Yikes! Anyway, I digress. At this point Lyndee and family really needed to head back to their room to prepare for their family picnic that afternoon. Ally was disappointed at not getting to see the ocean exhibit, so we decided we'd say our goodbyes then and there so that the girls and I could stay at the museum a little longer. It was sad to see them go... I definitely feel like we didn't get enough time with them. Although I am so grateful for what we did get. Lincoln and the girls had a lot of fun together, and I really love that our kids got along so well.

The ocean exhibit at the museum was very impressive. They had displays of just about any sea creature you could possibly imagine, along with enlargements of microscopic organisms and a live aquarium with a very diverse collection of creatures. We spent at least an hour in there, and then wandered on until we found ourselves in the insect and reptile exhibit. Again, very impressive. Ally and Angie both got to hold a large green caterpillar in their hand, but passed on the huge grasshopper and hissing cockroach. When I decided we really needed to hit the road and head home, we were so deep into the museum it took us 10 minutes of winding through mazes just to find the front entrance. It would take me hours to describe everything, so please forgive me for being so vague in my re-telling. I ask you to simply trust that this place is awe inspiring and I think everyone I know should visit this museum... with plenty of time to spend. =)

Below are some pics from our trip. Some are not the best quality because they were taken with my cell phone, (due to the girls playing with the video camera so much I couldn't keep the battery charged) but hopefully you can get the gist of what I was trying to capture.

Spring School Pictures - 2009

2009-05-19T11:53:00.003-04:00

River Dell Elementary helps Harbor House

2009-05-13T21:01:00.002-04:00

Can you spot Ally-cat in the crowd? She was involved in the student government at her elementary school this year, and one of their projects was to collect provisions for the local Harbor House in Raleigh. The group got to travel to the site to deliver the items in person. Ally seemed to really get a lot out of helping other people. We are so proud of her!

Mother's Day

2009-05-13T09:02:00.002-04:00

Angie & Mira - Mother's Day

2009-05-12T11:07:00.003-04:00

Here's yet another cute picture of Angie holding her favorite little cousin Mira. This was taken on Mother's Day at my parent's house.

More Recital Pics

2009-05-04T21:27:00.003-04:00

These pictures were taken on the actual recital date: May 2nd, 2009. What a little Ham!

A little curtsy after the show.

Posing with the dance instructor, Ms. Ann

Angie with her proud sis, Ally

Dance Recital - May '09

2009-05-04T11:11:00.004-04:00

Here are some pictures taken at the rehearsal for Angie's dance recital. We can't take pictures or video during the actual performance, so this is the closest I could get to the real thing until the official DVD is ready for pickup.

Angie did a wonderful job, and she was a real joy to watch. It's so fun to see how much enjoyment she gets from the dancing and the beautful outfits she gets to wear. This year she had a tap routine first, and then a ballet routine.

Dancing Queen

2009-04-07T09:09:00.005-04:00

Last Friday Angie had her first school dance. She's in 1st grade. Apparently they're starting them young these days. My first impression was that it was a lame idea, that this is an activity that shouldn't start until middle school, at least. But after attending this one with her I have completely changed my mind. The little munchkins had a blast! They were so carefree and genuine, simply enjoying the music and their friends, totally getting into the dances... so unlike my middle school experiences where we were too shy and embarrassed about what other people would think. Not these kids though, they were tearing it up! A couple of little second graders were actually break dancing - you could tell they had older brothers they were mimicking - totally hilarious to watch. Angie even got me out on the dance floor, along with many of the other parents, to do the cha-cha slide, the cupid slide, and... yes... the macarena. Angie got the most animated when they played YMCA, and she actually won second place for her enthusiasm. (They were competing for a huge bag of twizzlers). Anyway... here are a few pics from her evening.

Angie with some classmates

Starting a fancy spin... clear a space!
Gettin' her groove on!

YMCA!

Mountain Trip

2009-02-25T10:49:00.012-05:00

The weekend of Feb 21st, we took a family trip to the mountains and stayed in a cabin in Bryson City. As always, the scenery was beautiful and the atmosphere serene. We thoroughly enjoyed doing a whole lot of nothing! We played cards and dominoes, lounged in the jacuzzi, watched movies, slept in, and even managed a nice little hike/walk in the surrounding area. It was a wonderful escape from our busy lives, and we returned feeling energized and renewed, and with a stronger family bond than ever.

**On Saturday evening, as our get-away was nearing it's end, Paul PROPOSED!! So, though it has been natural for us to talk about marriage for quite some time, the engagement is now "official". We are all very excited about making this step toward our future together. =)

Below are some pictures from the weekend.

What a great group shot!

Getting ready to head to the jacuzzi!

We made it!

Ahhh... so nice!

Paul enjoying some down time

Angie enjoying some down time

Really enjoying some down time

Mom and Ally

Enjoying the view and the sunshine

Checking out the sun dial (see below)

Here it is... what a cute froggy!

The woodsy decorations in the living room

Ready to go for a walk?

Paul being silly

Jenn being silly

Paul lookin' cool

Angie lookin' cute

Ally lookin' cute

Yup, donuts for breakfast!

Pretty picture...

Hanging with Cousin Mira

2009-01-22T13:13:00.002-05:00

1st Snow Day 2009!

2009-01-20T11:47:00.006-05:00

Yeah! We got a nice bunch of snow today. The girls are having a blast... they don't get to play in snow very often. We tried to make a snow man, but the snow won't stick together enough to make a decent ball. Maybe tomorrow we'll have better luck. =)

Snow Angels!!

New Year's Eve 2008

2009-01-02T16:12:00.001-05:00

New Year's Eve 2008
Sent from my BlackBerry Smartphone provided by Alltel

Christmas Pictures 2008

2008-12-27T12:04:00.000-05:00

Christmas Eve at Paul's Parent's House

Christmas Eve at home... the girls got new Christmas Pajamas

Ally reading "The First Christmas" to us.

Christmas Morning!

Pretty Girls

2008-12-23T08:26:00.002-05:00

Clayton Christmas Parade - 12/13/08

2008-12-18T10:41:00.001-05:00

Last weekend Angie danced in the Clayton Christmas Parade with her dance school. The procession was the entire length of main street, which proved to be too much of a trek for little Angie. Paul, Ally, Auntie Jordan and I were stationed with our video camera near the end of the parade so we could pick her up when she was done, but by the time she reached us she'd already given up on the parade march and had been mercifully transferred to the float where she could ride and rest her feet. Digressing to that morning, Angie had a run-in with Murphy's Law: she slipped down the last couple steps of the stairwell and cut her foot on the bottom railing post. So... marching in the long parade was difficult and painful for her. She was a trooper for most of it, but since we were near the end we didn't actually get to see her dancing as she had thrown in the hat by that point. These are some cute pics from just before the parade started.

Fun at the Grandparents House

2008-12-08T08:44:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago the girls and Jenn joined Michelle, Jo, and Amy for a visit to the grandparent's "ranch." Ally and Angie had a great time playing outside, as they always do.

There is a naturally growing bamboo forest near the back of the property, which the girls found to be a fantastic playground!

Aunty Jo-Jo was their tour guide. Thanks Jo!

My parents adopted 3 wild Mustangs last summer... as you can see, they are not exactly wild anymore. Though they still have a long way to go in the training process, they are quite friendly and enjoy their human companions. Sadie, the one shown below, should have been a lap dog instead of a horse. She absolutely LOVES cuddles whenever she can get them!

All these great pics are compliments of Jordan and her camera. Thank you!!

Angie & Mira - Nov '08

2008-12-03T13:58:00.001-05:00

I snagged these pics from Mira's blog page.

I couldn't resist!

Visit with Santa

2008-12-01T16:22:00.000-05:00

The girls got to chat with Santa last week to tell him about their wishlists.

Halloween Pictures

2008-11-30T19:50:00.001-05:00

Here's some halloween pics... finally!

Angie and cousin Mira

Angie and Pa Strickland (trying on the pumpkin head)

Halloween 2008

2008-11-20T09:53:00.000-05:00

Ok, sorry this has taken so long to get this updated. We have some great pictures of the girls in their halloween costumes, but I have yet to get them off the camera and onto the computer. The main reason is because all the really good pictures were taken by Paul's mom and she still has the memory card. =)

Until I get some pics, I'll do my best to describe the costumes. Angie dressed up as Hannah Montana, with a flashy outfit, boots, a blonde wig, and a little microphone to carry. She looked great! At times she grew tired of the wig and wanted to be plain old Miley Cyrus, but we couldn't stand to let her lose the awesome blonde locks. She was quite sassy, and even did some singing for us. Ally decided pretty early on that she wanted to dress as the Headless Horseman. However, rather than going headless she opted to wear a pumpkin on her head. So Paul and Ally worked hard for a week making a big pumpkin head from paper mache. For the rest of the outfit we cut up one of Paul's old shirts, which worked perfectly for a tatterd cloak. We borrowed some tall boots, threw in some black pants and a white dress shirt, and the look was complete. It turned out great, and Ally looked fantastic!

So, on Halloween night we were joined by Ma and Pa Strickland (Paul's parents), Aunty Jo-Jo, Aunty Michelle, Uncle Matt, and Little Mira (who was dressed in a lamb outfit - adorable!). For the first time in years, we were able to Trick-Or-Treat right in our own neighborhood. The days of apartment living and driving to other neighborhoods are, fortunately, in the past for us now! There was a pretty big crowd of kids and parents haunting the streets, and overall it was a very fun atmosphere. Ally and Angie took turns cruising along on the scooter, which helped relieve some of the tiredness. As expected, the girls returned home at the end of the night with a nice big healthy supply of candy. Even Mira, (with a little help) collected a fair amount of chocolate for her mommy.

So, that's it for now. Hopefully this weekend I'll get my hands on some pics! =)

Jon Reep

2008-10-28T13:19:00.001-04:00

Saturday night, Jenn and I went to see Jon Reep (the "Hemi guy") at The Clayton Center. This guy had me in stitches all night long. He's a good ol' southern boy from Hickory, NC who made it big being..... Well Red, White & Blue (That's Red Neck, White Trash and Blue Collar). If Jon comes to your neck of the woods, you have to go see him. I promise, it's one of the best comedy acts you'll ever see.

2008 State Fair

2008-10-21T09:32:00.000-04:00

This past Saturday, Paul & I took the girls to the fair. It was a chilly day with a steady breeze. We spent the day riding rides and eating then riding more rides and yeah, eating even more. We had a fun time. We highly recommend the deep-fried milky way!

Ally gets the call to pitch

2008-10-14T08:49:00.001-04:00

For the first time all season, the coach looked to Ally before last night's game and gave her the nod to start on the mound. Ally pitched well for her first time out, giving up only one run in 2 innings of work and stranding runners in scoring position during both innings.

~Strick

Clayton Softball Team

2008-10-14T08:48:00.001-04:00

Ally's Fall Softball Team

~Strick

Wolfpack Softball Clinic

2008-10-14T08:47:00.001-04:00

On Sunday October 5th, Ally attended a softball clinic at NC State University to work on defense and hitting. The Wolfpack coaching staff oversaw and instructed both of the sessions.

Even though Ally was the youngest one out there she hung in like a trooper all day (6 hours) and battled with older girls (some twice her age) to earn a lot of respect from the Wolfpack coaching staff. In typical Ally fashion, when the clinics were over she was not ready to leave and begged for more. It was a proud moment for me to see her grow up on the field. she gained a lot of confidence that day and I have noticed a more poised Ally in her games since.

~Strick

Girls Night Out

2008-10-13T16:02:00.000-04:00

On Saturday night the girls and I went to my sister Amy's house to hang out with two of my other sisters (Michelle and Jordan). Of course Mira, Michelle's 3 month old baby girl, was there too. Shortly after I arrived, my parent's also showed up. My mom wanted to join us for the "girl's night" and so my dad drove her from Greensboro to Raleigh just to hang out with us. Dad tried to leave us to to do our girl thing, but we wouldn't let him go. So it turned into a girls and one boy night.

Amy and Rob recently got their hands on a Wii... and this was the main reason for our get together. We played some sports for a while: I did horrible at bowling, as always. Amy won, and Angie came in second over Michelle. Then we played tennis. Jordan, Michelle and Ally played most of these games, and they were quite humorous to watch. They jumped around in the living room almost as much as the characters on the TV screen, without the crazy dives that the Mii's tend to do when playing tennis. Then it was baseball. Let me digress a bit to tell you that before we started playing, Jordan and Amy created "Mii's" for everyone in attendance as well as their significant others. They even made one for Mira. So as they were playing baseball, it was usually one of our family members up to bat or playing the field. It was pretty funny when Mira, who was playing first base, got Michelle out on a pop fly. Rob got Amy out on a quick play at shortstop, and Paul got Ally out at second base. All the coincidences were hilarious. We then spent the next couple of hours playing Kabooki, which is the Wii version of Cranium. That was a lot of fun, even though some of the things were hard to figure out. Time really flys when you're playing that game, and before we knew it the clock was pushing 1am.

Sometime around 11pm Angie decided she'd had enough. Also, she had been hounding me for the last hour to let her hold Mira. All this time Mira had been napping on my chest. I had tried to pass her to Angie earlier, only for Mira to wake up and start crying. I quickly rocked her back to sleep, as a dejected Angie stood by and watched. So when Angie started to yawn so big she could catch tennis balls, I decided to encourage her to lay down in Amy's spare bedroom. She refused to leave Mira's side, so I offered to let Mira lay down with her. Michelle was adamant that when I put her down on the chilly bed Mira would instantly wake up, but I think that Angie's snuggling up to her helped warm her quickly, and she didn't even make a peep. It didn't take long for Angie to succumb to her exhaustion, and little Mira was snug as a bug in a rug. Here's a picture of them snuggling together. =)

Angie & Mira snoozing together.
Sent from my BlackBerry Smartphone provided by Alltel

Jenn Gets Glasses

2008-10-10T11:51:00.000-04:00

I got my first pair of glasses this week. They're taking some time to get used to, but fortunately I won't need to wear them very often. They're basically for night driving, and any other time I feel like wearing them. I've received a lot of kind compliments, but they still look and feel very strange to me. I'm hoping it won't take too long to get over this self-conciousness.

Agility Training

2008-10-10T11:15:00.000-04:00

Last weekend Ally & Angie participated in some agility training at the Pineville Club. They did various hurdle jumps, obstacle courses, relay races, and tag games. They had a blast. =)

Goodnight, Sleep Tight

2008-10-03T11:51:00.000-04:00

I snapped this picture of Angie and Piglet last night. I went up to tuck her in and kiss her goodnight, and found that Piggy had already taken care of it. What a cute little snuggle. =)

Sent from my BlackBerry Smartphone provided by Alltel

Fast Pitch Softball

2008-09-24T11:30:00.001-04:00

Ally started her first season playing fast-pitch softball this month. She's holding her own among many girls who are much more experienced. She's learning fast, loves the competition, and really works hard to improve. We really enjoy watching her play, and Paul has enjoyed being a part of the coaching staff. (His first time coaching little girls... a big change from coaching grown men!) I have yet to take my quality camera out to the games, so I apologize for these fuzzy pics taken with my cell phone. Hopefully I'll have some good ones soon.

Labor Day @ The Pool

2008-09-17T14:45:00.000-04:00

Along with our new neighborhood we have access to a pool membership. I was able to take the girls to enjoy some fun in the sun on the last day the pool would be open for the summer. Here are a few pics from that fun day.

They had a lot of fun on the waterslide!

Labor Day Weekend

2008-09-17T11:13:00.000-04:00

We spent most of the holiday weekend moving into our new house. We had lots of bumps during the purchase period which made things drag out much longer than anticipated... but we are thrilled to report that all is final and the house is finally ours. We are working diligently to get settled... also adding bits and pieces of furniture as the weeks pass. We have a new fridge, a new couch and love seat, a new pub table, and are planning to order a new dining room table by this weekend. We're still missing some key items, such as a coffee table, but we are prioritizing things and slowly working our way down the list.

We want to send out our heart-felt thanks to our family members that helped us with the move. We couldn't have done it without you... and we are so grateful that you were there for us in our time of need. It was a very hot and extremely humid day, and your sweaty efforts are so very appreciated. So to Joe & Paulette, Matt & Michelle, Jordan, and our neighbors Jimmy & Amy, a great big THANK YOU!

A Brief Catch-Up

2008-08-26T15:22:00.000-04:00

Ok, yeah, so it's been a while since our last post. I was hoping to have some new pics to include, but I don't yet. Hopefully soon.
After almost 11 weeks in Puerto Rico with their dad, the girls arrived back home on Monday, Aug 18th. As usual, Paul and I drove to Charlotte to pick them up at the airport. After grabbing a quick dinner at Texas Roadhouse (where the staff acknowledged Ally's birthday by having her sit on a saddle and engaged the entire restaurant into one big "Yee-Haw!"), we hit the road. We hoped to make a brief stop at grandma and grandpa's, but (as usual) there was road construction and we were delayed. It was after midnight when we finally arrived home. Fortunately, Paul and I had scheduled the day off on Tuesday, so we were all able to take it easy the next morning.
It is so nice to have our beautiful girls back home with us. Though Paul and I enjoy our "quality time" together during the summer, there is always a feeling of things not being quite right. There is a huge void, that only they can fill. Now that they are home again, things feel like they're back to normal.
Yesterday was the first day of school (Ally-3rd, Angie-1st) and the girls came home happy and excited about their new friends and about starting a new grade. I'm still getting over the hand cramps from all the flippin' paperwork they make us fill out! Ally had softball practice last night, (yes, on the first day of school) so it was a super busy day for her from start to finish. As soon as we got home after work, Ally changed into her practice clothes and Paul whisked her off to practice. When they got home, it was nearly 8:30, and Ally rushed through the shower, wolfed down her dinner, and then finished her homework before zipping off to bed. Fortunately, not every day will be this hectic for her. On Wednesday, Angie and I will check out the local dance studio to see about signing her up for ballet and maybe another form of dance as well. I'm curious to see what this new studio has to offer. Angie really enjoyed her 1st year in ballet, and I'm hoping to continue and encourage that avenue for her.

Happy Birthday Alexandra!!

2008-08-04T11:30:00.000-04:00

Today is Ally's 9th birthday. Wow... 9! She is growing up so fast. She and her sister are still in PR with their dad for two more weeks. I called her this morning at 8am, and she had already opened up her gifts and was busy playing with one of them. She was thrilled to tell me she had received a new game for her Nintendo DS: Lego Indiana Jones. She gets a kick out of Indiana using his whip to get the bad guys. She was having such a fun time with it she could barely pull herself away long enough to let me sing happy birthday to her. =)

Today they are planning to go to a resort hotel to play in their swimming pool. It sounds like the perfect thing for this little fishie's birthday. Ally absolutely LOVES swimming.

Snapshot

2008-07-25T14:47:00.000-04:00

A self-snapshot of us on the 4th of July... just a little off center! =)

Sent from my BlackBerry Smartphone provided by Alltel

Tennis Lesson

2008-07-25T14:05:00.000-04:00

Here's a little video clip of Ally taking tennis lessons in Puerto Rico. Her little sister Angie is waiting patiently for her turn.

Offer Accepted!

2008-07-17T10:15:00.000-04:00

We're so excited to be buying a brand new house! We should close mid-August, which gives us barely enough time to get moved in before school starts. We're cutting it close, but with some hard work we're confident it will all work out.

Alexandra and Angelina are having a fun summer in Puerto Rico with their dad. Ally is learning to windsurf, and they are both taking tennis lessons. They're staying very busy and seem to be having a great time.

Of course, we miss them terribly and can't wait to have them back home with us.

New House?

2008-07-15T14:26:00.000-04:00

We put an offer in on a new house yesterday... keep your fingers crossed for us!