UPDATE: OMG! School has started!

Update: Now with pictures!

It has been really crazy around here lately! Both the kids started school on Monday (August 30th). The transition has been a lot smoother than I anticipated! They have been really tired in the morning, but I am hoping that will work itself out soon.



Whitney started Kindergarten! I can hardly believe it! Has it really been that long already? Is she really old enough to be in Kindergarten? Can I freeze these moments, please???


Whitney goes to daycare in the morning for Kindergarten Enrichment care. She plays and has class time there, then has lunch. She gets on the bus at daycare and rides the bus to her school, Richland Elementary. She is in Mrs. Beason's class. One of the boys that lives close by to us is in her class too! They also get to ride the bus home together! Whitney has been enjoying her school experience so far. We hope this continues for the next 13 years!


Blaine started 8th grade! I think I may faint. 8th grade??? Seriously? I was really worried about Blaine's transition to Strayer Middle school, but he has done amazing! He loves every day, likes his classes, has made LOTS of friends and even reports that he has a "girlfriend"! Oh my!



I am so glad that both my children are having a good start to this academic year! I can't wait to see what the rest of the year has in store for us....

OK, that was about a month ago!!

I wanted to add pictures, but for some reason, with the upgrade of my computer software, my camera is no longer compatible...so no pictures this time..

In other family news....I have been SOOOOO busy at work the past two months! I think I may actually be getting a break soon, but that will be another week at least!
We have been to the Bloomsburg Fair this year and it did not rain!! YAY! We are looking forward to going to a pumpkin patch and taking a hayride soon...it is that time of year! Joe's company, Kelly Automotive, gave all the employees passes to Dorney Park for a day a couple of weekends ago. That was SO much fun! Perfect weather and NO lines!

Whitney is enjoying Kindergarten and has recently started Daisy Girl Scouts. She was chosen as one of the girls that will carry the flag in the flag ceremony at Investiture on October 25th. She is so excited!

Blaine tried out for a special concert chorus. He didn't make it, but he gave it a shot, so that shows courage! He is doing well with his grades and is having a good time in school...we are very proud of him.
That is about it for an update this time around...I hope to have pictures, next time!

Fun in the Summertime

We have been having lots of fun this summer, playing, and swimming, and grilling out, and eating ice cream! We spent a few days over the July 4th weekend with Joe's dad at a campground. We did not camp, rather Bill was nice enough to put us up in a hotel nearby so that we would have a nice bed and shower!! Thanks, Bill! We played lots of cornhole and enjoyed spending time together! Blaine found a new passion...GOLF! We took him to a driving range for the first time ever and he LOVED it, now he is obsessed with getting a set of clubs!







We found a new pool to go to....Nockamixon state park pool! It is in the country, tucked away, and very nice. I took the kids today and we all had a good time. It was a big pool with a deep end, but it only went to 4 ft 7 inches so it wasn't over my head or Blaine's! Whitney enjoyed splashing around in the kiddie section and we even got her to go down the waterslide!





We hope you all are having as much fun as we are this summer! :)

The Latest

We have been pretty busy since Blaine and mom got here on Wednesday. We went to Whitney's dance recital rehearsal Wednesday afternoon.....




.....took a picnic lunch to Kid's Castle on Thursday...





...Whitney had her preschool graduation on Friday....







...Saturday was her dance recital....

...Sunday we went to Knoebel's and celebrated Father's Day! (no pictures)

...and today was Whitney's LAST T-Ball practice/game!







WHEW!!!!

Fairy Tale Day and Cookies

At Whitney's preschool, last Friday June 11th was Fairy Tale day!




It was actually Fairy tale week, but they let the kids dress up on Friday and of course Whitney dressed up like the Pretty Princess that she is.


They also had, as Whitney called it, a fake wedding. She and her friend Andrew (they hang out and play ALL the time!) got fake married. After the wedding, they danced together, did the limbo, and had a parade! Oh how I WISH life were like this fairy tale!

In prep for Blaine and mom flying up here on Wednesday (SO SOON, YAY!!!!), I have been cleaning, and cleaning, and baking, and baking! I have a lot of time on my hands right now since I have the summer off...yes, it is nice.....so I have been experimenting with some things. I made cake balls...no pictures, but it is chocolate cake mixed with icing, shaped like a small ball and covered in candy melts...YUMMY! Whitney had the idea to coat some of them in powdered sugar and I think those were the best.


I also made some cookies for Blaine and my mom.





I LOVE how these turned out....Cute little smiley faces to represent how happy I am that they are coming up. Blaine is coming up for the summer and my mom is staying until the 22nd. We are going to have so much fun! Whitney has her preschool graduation on Friday and her dance recital on Saturday, so we are going to start off busy! So looking forward to it!

National Firefighter Certification

We have been busy this last week. Joe's birthday was Tuesday. We went out to an Italian restaurant in Easton for which we had a gift certificate (I had won it off the radio in December). Then Wednesday night Joe had his graduation ceremony for completing his National Firefighter course.

This is a major accomplishment! He worked for the last 4 months, attending classes every Sunday, Monday and Wednesday. He studied very hard and put a lot of practice into getting his gear on in under a minute! We are very proud of him!


Joe has also had lots of interviews recently, which is a very good thing! He has had interviews for teaching positions and a couple for non teaching positions. He went for a second interview today at a company that inspects, services, and repairs fire equipment. He got the job! YAY!!!! He starts in another week, so he is looking forward to that. There is the possibility of advancement too. He is still going to an interview next week for a teaching position, because it would pay more, but this is a good start for the summer.

This weekend is Memorial Day and we all have Monday off so we can enjoy the nice long weekend. We will have a couple of friends over on Saturday and Monday there is a parade, but other than that, it will lots of rest and relaxation!

Strawberry picking

Today we went strawberry picking! It was a lot of fun for all of us. We had a really nice day for it, not too hot and a little breezy. We had not picked strawberries since Whitney was a baby, so it was about time! The berries are so much nicer and sweeter when you pick them yourself. After we wash them, we are going to freeze some and use the others for a strawberry pie and some for pound cake...CANNOT WAIT! Yum, Yum!






Oh!!!! Today is my best friend Christine's 6th wedding anniversary!!! HAPPY ANNIVERSAY Christine and Michael! I was in their wedding, and it was a very special day! :)

Whitney Dances

Whitney's dance company performed for the first time at the Relay for Life Event in Quakertown today. It was SUPER HOT! All the girls did a great job and had a lot of fun! They were so cute in their costumes, too!










Whitney's recital is June 19th at 12 noon at Parkland HS if anyone wants to come out. I am not sure about tickets or anything like that, but will let you know as I get information. We are both so proud of Whitney's performance in her first dance class! She has loved it and made some great friends, too.