Monday, November 23, 2009

Going to the Lodge!

Joe has been coaching Ali's soccer team, the Bumblebees (formerly the Butterflies, formerly known as the Little Doras) for a couple years now.  The season wraps up with a chaotic pizza party with all the players, siblings and parents.  Being involved in soccer has been quite the blessing for us!  We love the family time, going to the games and the great friends we've made.  The team parents always present Joe with a much appreciated, albeit unneccessary, thank you gift at the pizza party.  This year it was a family pack of day passes to the waterpark at the Great Wolf Lodge! 

The girls were speechless when we asked them to grab their bathing suits and get and get in the car.  It was gray and rainy outside! 
Eva spent the day at Auntie Leslie's.  But we missed her when we saw the "Loose Moose Cottage" restaurant!

Ali could not get enough of the wave pool and the big slides!
 Mia preferred hanging out in the hot tub, which suited me just fine!

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Big Sisters




Friday, November 13, 2009

Little Sister



Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Dozens of Cousins

This morning James came over to play.  Not because his Mommy was busy or because he needed a babysitter - just because he woke up in the morning and said, "Hmm... I go Misha's house?!"  ("Misha" is a family pet name primarily used by James for Mia).  I love that.  I love that my sister and I have been fortunate enough to raise our children together thus far.  I love that at preschool, James and Mia squabble like siblings.  I love that Ali will ask for "alone time" with Auntie.  And I love that occasionally all the kids can descend upon Grandma and Pop-Pop for an evening...

I am still close to my cousins.  Life has taken us many different directions, but I still feel connected.  Joe has similar connections to a fabulous extended family.  Care to reminisce? 





Our cousins have become confidantes, role models, Godparents and friends.  I pray my girls have similar relationships with their family as adults.

The happiest moments of my life have been the few which I have passed at home in the bosom of my family. ~Thomas Jefferson