Just some pictures!

Here is Robert playing baseball! Summer was full of baseball baseball and more baseball! Brian was his coach and he did a great job!


























Shane played Blast ball. He loved it and asked me 50 times a day if he had practice or a game that day!










This was Roberts 1st day of Kindergarten! I can't believe he is in elementary school now. He actually turns 6 next month. Crazy!











Cecelia decided to play with the Desitin and put it all over her face. It is really hard to get that stuff out of eyelashes if you were wondering!!

The Outer Banks

We went to the Outer Banks for Memorial Day weekend. The weather was awesome and most of the family went. Travis/Shawnie and kids, Michelle/Brian and kids, Mom, Kara, and Mandy. Here is Cecelia helping Shane build a ditch.









Robert is using his huge muscles to pull the surfboard! It looks like he may take after Daddy and be a surfer.











Brian taught my cousins kids how to surf while we were there. He is such a patient teacher. He know coaches Robert's T Ball team and teaches tennis twice a week. He is such a hard worker.






































I just love Shane's smile. We had a pool and hot tub at the house we rented and I don't think Shane got in the pool once. He was quite content to stay in the hot tub.
















I mean how cool is Robert?! Walking on the beach talking to cousin Hannah Rose! He is such a stud!










Cecelia attacks Robert on a daily basis. She had him by the nose here!












Shane decided he had enough beach fun and decided to take a siesta on daddy!











It was still early in the season for the water to be warm. It took the kids by surprise how chilly it was. This is two of the kids cousins...... Luke and Mason.











Here are all the rascals...... Luke, Robert, Drake, Shane, and Mason. Having all these boys cousins is great. But..... it can get loud with all the boys in the same house!










We had such a great time that we have decided to make this a yearly tradition! It wasn't too hot and we had a great breeze. The kids had a blast and it gave the adults a chance to hang at night when the crazy kids crashed after playing all day! I can't wait till next year!

A Day at the Park

The new park opened up at Robert and Shane's preschool. I have to say it is awesome! They have this huge slide that the kids love!! You go really fast!















Cecelia even loves to go down it herself! All we got was her head and it looks like she really doesn't like it but she LOVES it!


















Baby even had to have a turn!

















This is Cecelia's "boyfriend" Travis. She is always trying to hug him. She even got a kiss in! So cute! It is so hot this weekend that I don't think we will go to the park much but I am sure we will be at this park a lot this summer so look for updates of our summer fun!

My birthday and the Zoo

All I wanted to do on my birthday was have a fun day with the kids and Brian. Since Brian took the day off he said I could do anything I wanted ....... so I surprised him by saying I wanted to go to the zoo. He was expecting me to say I was running away for the day with no kids and to just be by myself. The day could not have been more perfect! The kids had a blast, my mom went with us, and then that night my sister Kara took all 3 kids!

Our trek down to the zoo started with a metro ride! The boys were so excited and Cecelia had no clue what was going on.










The boys with a huge hippo. As you can see, Shane was not so sure about it. He makes the funniest faces.










No matter how many times I see a hippo it amazes me how big they are!











I always tell Robert that his memory is ridiculous...... he remembers everything! I was telling him that elephants have good memories. He was sure that it could not be as good as his. The boys were more fascinated with the big piles of poop!








This is Robert next to a HUGE gorilla. The funniest thing happened...... another monkey came flying in to get this monkey and it jumped up and slammed on the glass with it fists right at Robert. He FLEW back like 50 feet and almost peed his pants. It was hilarious!









This enormous orangutan Lucy loved to watch me put my lip gloss on for some reason. I would put it away and then slowly take it out and she would come running. You can't tell that well, but she would put her head right on the glass just inches from mine and watch me put it on. It was so amazing to be so close, literally, face to face, with this animal.





Cecelia playing on this brass frog. So cute!












Granny and Cece playing!










The boys playing in the playground that is supposed to simulate what it would be like to be a badger or a mole that digs.









The kids relaxing watching the seals. Aren't they the cutest three kids?! We really had a wonderful day! I think I may make this a birthday tradition of mine! If you ever get the chance to visit DC then you have to go to the National Zoo. Nothing beats making memories with the kids!

Mothers Day

So, the morning after my surprise party was Mothers Day so we had a full day of family activities. Church at 9am, brunch with Brian's mom, then grill out and cake with my mom and family. Here are some pictures of kids having some fun cousin bonding!

Drake, Robert and Shane chillin.










Poor Cecelia... alllll those boys! She is ever so patient.












Cecelia loves her cousin Drake!









Why do all boys do air guitar!? I swear they are born with this tendency!










Rock on with your bad self!







Cece trying to keep up with the boys. Notice the baby doll in her hand! Such a girl among all those crazy boys. She has no hope!











Cecelia is very patiently waiting for Cammie to start shoveling the ice cream cake into her mouth! Notice the baby doll again! She always has her baby doll!













Cece insisted on having a lemon so Kara (yaya) let her have it! She quickly changed her mind! So dang cute!









Oh I love my family! I truly am so blessed to have them so close. Now all we need to do is get Dustin and his family back here so we can be all together again! They are such a joy in my life and I could not survive a single day with out talking to my sisters or my mom! Family rocks!!!

Lunch and Surprise Party!!!

So, once a month my mom, my sisters, and I get together for lunch (which we call Granny's Goombata). This was my birthday month so Kara let me choose the restaurant even though it was her month to choose where to go. We went to Coastal Flats in Tysons. So yummy! Then my sisters took me shopping and bought me an outfit for my birthday. We always have so much fun and I am not sure what I would do if I didn't have my sisters and my mom!


Later that night..... Mandy and Brian surprised me with a party at Clarendon Grill for my 30th birthday! It was so much fun and most of my closest friends were there! We danced all night! My perfect way to ring in the 30's!!



Mandy.









Cammie.









Cammie and Brian. I love how close my sisters are with Brian.











Katie, Cammie, me, Mandy.






Brian being a goof ball wearing Cammie's sun glasses. Oh Brian Brian Brian!!








Brother Travis, sister in law Shawnie, mom, and Cammie.









Cammie's hot new red shoes!





All in all it was an awesome night! It was the perfect way to bring in the 30's! Thank you to all those who helped make it a memorable night!

Hard Day

Well, today marks 2 whole years of life with out Bob! I can't believe it has been 2 years! I will never forget the phone call that informed me that he was gone. I felt a combination of shock, disbelief, and could actually feel my heart break. I miss him terribly every day and my heart still aches to feel his hugs! I had the wonderful gift of having Bob as my step father for almost 19 years. From the day my mom started dating Bob after my daddy's death I immediately had a bond that was unbreakable and so significant in my life. He was a father, confidant and best friend. He was an amazing grandfather and we even named Robert after him. He was my rock and there are many times I still long to be able to call him and ask for advice. I will always miss our morning talks. I feel so lucky to have the knowledge that I will be able to see Bob again. I have faith that my Heavenly Father and my daddy will take care of Bob to ensure that he will be part of our eternity. There are many times a day when the kids do something and I can still hear Bob's sarcastic or funny remark in my head. I know with all my heart that my daddy and Bob are looking down on my family and protecting it (and many times laughing at us, they both had the best sense of humor) and will continue to look after us. I feel so privelaged to have had a father as wonderful as Bob and will miss him every day until we are reunited.

Wilsons Animal Wild Zoo

So the kids preschool class went to this Wild Animal Zoo in Winchester. It was actually really cool. The first thing we got was a big bag of food that we can feed most of the animals. Shane was a little scared at first but got over it pretty quickly. Robert had NO fear! The goats were first and Cecelia was not getting anywhere near them!















The first picture is of Robert, Shane, and Robert's best friend Wyatt. His mom is one of my closest friends and they are like brothers...... fighting and all. They have a lot of fun together!
Here are the three stooges from their class in preschool. Brendan, Wyatt, and Robbie. They cause most of the trouble but Miss Michelle says that they make her laugh so hard. We have many play dates!

OK-- have you ever heard the noise an EMU makes?!?!!? It was the weirdest sound and completely caught Shanan and me by surprise. It sounded like a tug boat horn and was really loud. Weird! Shane absolutely fell in love with the Lions. He was amazed by their size. I think he truly would have gotten in their with them if they had let them!





















So I had the most amazing experience at the zoo! I actually got to play with this baby bear!! The zoo keeper let me jump the fence and play with him. He had only been in his new enclosure for 3 nights! He had some really really long nails and sharp teeth. He also made the CUTEST noises!!! I could have taken him home and kept him forever.....that is...if he stayed that size! It really was so amazing to play with this creature that in just a couple months could rip me apart in two seconds!


So my day ended by Cecelia and me feeding the llamas. She was actually warming up to the animals and was trying to feed the Llama. That was until he sneezed ALL OVER US!!! If you look closely you can see the tiny bits of chewed up food. It was so nasty!! Let me just say that we could not get to the bathroom fast enough to wash our faces! The saddest part of the day was when the BEST thing from the whole day happened and we didn't get a picture. The boys thought they were so cool by chasing these huge geese that were walking around the zoo. They were chasing them down the hill.......and I swear these geese have some secret language and all decided at the same time.....and the geese turned on them! These boys were in a panic to get up the hill. One almost got Shane and he dove into this bush. I thought they were all going to return with wet pants! I thought I was going to laugh to death! All in all it was a really fun day and the kids had a blast and that was the most important thing!