9 years and counting

Today Mark and I celebrate 9 years of marriage. Really? Where has the time gone? I remember sleeping in my parents basement, my bro on one couch and myself on the other. I remember the butterflies in my stomach, the weakness in my knees, and the anticipation. I remember concentrating on Mark's face during the ceremony. We have been blessed in these 9 years but as all couples we have faced some trials and tribulations along the way, each making our relationship stronger. I love how our personalities compliment each other bringing about a balance. He is the one to always voice his opinion regardless of circumstance but yet always tactful. I often hold back, afraid to hurt feelings or not wanting to be the voice of opposition. The times when my emotions want to make decisions he gently steps in with the voice of reason. I hope for many more years to come.

As for recent happenings... Schuyler had her first soccer game, which they won. She played half the time on the field and the other half as goal, where she played outstanding. In her words, "Nobody will score", and nobody did. Mack is counting the days until her first game. She will be the one with pink shorts, pink socks, and probably some cute ribbon in her hair.

We finally went to the Farmer's Market in the Haymarket this weekend. We always pick up some goodies, kettle corn, sweet corn, a couple packages of bratwurst, and cheese. I LOVE the cheese we got. It's a buffalo wing cheese and very tasty!!

A few pics for fun!

Back from vacay...

Back from vacay! We had such a good time. We left Sat a.m. and got in around 1:30 and immediately hit the water slides at Coco Keys. That evening we went to Joe's Crab Schack, which I would HIGHLY recommend. Very kid friendly. We ate outdoors b/c it was such a nice evening. They had a balloon man making various animals so we had to get Mack a heart with little bear and Schuyler wanted a Kansas City Chiefs one, mainly for the yellow I think. Eli was indifferent. They had an outdoor playland the kids used while I sipped a Mojito and Mark had a lemonade concoction. Funny story. Mark goes inside to get a beer and Schuyler and I are talking on the deck overlooking playland. Mack comes running up, "Mom, Mom, you have to see Eli. Come quickly". I go after her and find Eli buck naked climbing up the slide. Sheesh! He thought he would go potty in the sand and then take off his shirt. About the time I'm trying to get him dressed, the waitress comes to let us know our food is ready.

Sunday, we thought about Worlds of Fun but it was raining. We had some friends with kids similar ages to ours so we got our money's worth out of Coco Keys. Then, we went to stay with my brother and SIL.

Monday, more rain. We thought our chances of World's of Fun were slim to none so we hit Union Station. It didn't start well. It was nearly impossible to find b/c we were unfamiliar with the area and you couldn't see b/c rain was coming in sheets. Get there for brunch at the old diner and Mack spills hot chocolate in Mark's lap. Not good. We go to Crayola and Schuyler throws a fit b/c we didn't buy her anything. We had thought about going to Kaleidoscope but with the kids deteriorating attitudes, we didn't want to push our luck. Get to the car and find the rain has stopped. After a phone call we decide to chance it. I'm SO glad we did. It ended up being sunny the rest of the time. Hardly anyone was there b/c of the rain and the fact it was a Monday. So, from 1:30 or so until 6:30 we enjoyed the park. No lines. You could walk up to a ride and get on. Sometimes, they would just ask if you wanted to ride again! Schuyler enjoyed her first roller coasters, the Timberwolf and the Prowler, the 2 wooden ones. Mack was upset she couldn't try it but we found enough other rides to appease her. Eli loved the planes in camp snoopy. We were exhausted by the time we left!

Schuyler started school on Wed. She is excited to be back. Her teacher is wonderful and the kids seem to love him.

McKenzie has decided she wants to permanently change her name to Kenz. Kenzie would be okay but she prefers Kenz. We'll see how long this lasts = ) We decided to have her attend the Montessori for kindergarten, like we did with Schuyler. Her official first day is not until after labor day but she has already got her workbook and is SO excited!

Pictures I'm finally editting. Sprinkler fun...




They were helping me test the light before my senior session. Mack before a bday party.


As Schuyler would say, "looking sporty". Nice icecream bar crumbs around the mouth!

a vacay before the madness sets in

We are going on a little vacay before the madness of school and activities becomes full blown. Off to World's of Fun and Coco Keys = ) Schuyler has been enjoying her week at home before school starts. It's also apparent just how busy they kept the kids at Husker kids. She has wanted to do something everyday. So, she has swam, went to the park and library, and today is bowling. She has found a love for playing card games. As of now, her favorite game is Kings in the Corner. This is good news for Mark and I since we both come from pitch and cribbage families = )

Mack had her 5 year physical. All in all, she received a good bill of health. We do need to take her to an optometrist to get her eyes checked.

We have received soccer schedules for both girls and it looks like Schuyler will play Saturdays (mainly a.m.) and Mack will play Sunday afternoons. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday will be dance and soccer, respectively.

Eli continues to enjoy riding his bicycle. The boy has got some serious legs! We have had quite a few incidents where he runs into the street. I tried to look at it as an opportunity to teach him. So, one night we walked down a house and crossed the street. Then, down another house and crossed. You get the idea. Nope, didn't work! Ugh!

Here is a picture of Schuyler and her fave Husker Kids counselor. The great thing about modern communication, you can still email and keep in touch = )

She's safe, she's safe....

she beat you to the base, uh-huh! Just an old softball chant I thought was fitting = ) Last week marked the end of softball season. Schuyler had a good season. I think her favorite position at this point in time is 1st base. I have also been working with her on the side on pitching = ) Mack and Eli have got into the fun as well. Mack is working on throwing and hitting. Eli likes batting off the tee = )

Obviously, a lot has gone on since my last blog post! The girls also enjoyed vacaction bible school last week. There were some later nights which made for tired kids but they had a lot of fun. Here, you can see the fun! Look for Mack in the 2nd picture down on the very left hand side. The theme was crocodile dock and Eli thought the croc was pretty cool. He gave him some high fives and even a love = ) As a grand finale celebration, they rented star city shores, the Lincoln waterpark on Friday from 8:30-10.00. It was uncharacteristically chill for this time of year. We arrived promptly at 8:30. Mack was done at 9:10 and Schuyler was done 5 of so minutes later!

Schuyler's last day of Husker Kids is today. As a thank you, we brought in some breakfast pizza this week for the staff. Schuyler made me bring my camera to get some pics of her and her friends and camp counselors. Her favorite is David. Today, they were having a water fun day! She has had a good time and I have been so pleased with the program. She will miss all the activities!

This weekend will be busy. Schuyler is having a friend spend the night. Mack has a playdate Saturday and then bday party on Sunday. Throw in 2 photo sessions and that is one busy weekend = )

I've kept busy with lots of photo shoots and more to come!