1st Grade Cookie Night

Tonight was 1st Grade Cookie Night at school. 

They have been reading the book "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie"

They dressed up like cookies, sang some cookie songs and just had a fun time.  It was too cute! 

Noah and his buddy Madison, they love that they are in the same class this year

 They had some fun activities to participate in too. 

Learning & having fun all at the same time!

It was a fun family night & Noah had a great time....

how could he not when Cookies are involved?!

Happy Birthday!

We are still around!  Really, just busy and this blog has not been the most important thing on my list....but it's on my mind.  Guilt!  That's what it really is.  I will try to be better! 

Here's a few pics from a special day....a day when someone turned 50!

Making a Change

Tonight we attended the

2011 Caribbean Mid-Summer Night Event

This event is held by The Eli Home.  The Eli Home operates several shelters for abused woman and children.  My sister-in-law, Tami, her family started these homes and she also works for them.  Each summer they hold this event to help them raise money. 

We go and support them and this great work that they do to help people in serious need of help.

{my sister Stephanie & I}

They had a photo booth & we had some serious fun. 

 I wish I had a copy of the photos that my parents took!

I also wished that my sister Deanna was able to be there that night,  it would have made our siblings photo great!!

They are kind of small, so hopefully you'll be able to see them!!

a fun week with his cousins

This week was a fun week for Noah....he was able to spend it with four of his cousins!  That's a big change for Noah.  He had a great time.  Being an only child means that his Mom and Dad are his first playmates.  So "living" at his cousins house for a week is a huge treat!

We were busy, busy, busy.....and we had a lot of fun!

One of the main objectives for going to my sisters house was to help her try to get some things "done" at her house.  They just recently moved back to California from Ohio.  Moving is such a pain and it takes so long to get your house turned into your home.   We tried to get some things done, but it takes time and than there are the KIDS!  So we planned some fun "field trips".

Who knows where this is? 

 We took a drive to the Jelly Belly Factory for a fun tour.  It was a nice day, but we think the kids don't need to go back there again.  Been there, done that.  Everyone, except Noah & I, had been there before.  They lived in Northern California before they moved to Ohio....so this was already checked off of their bucket list.

The next day, we went to the Bay Area Discovery Museum.  The Bay Area Discovery Museum is a one-of-a-kind indoor and outdoor children's museum at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge.  

Thru the summer they had a special exhibit...

Let's Get Curious, with Curious George!

We did many other fun things...the park, playing outside, riding on skateboards....the list goes on and on.  It was a great week.  Then we loaded everyone in the car for an awesome road trip to Southern California...that's always fun!  The kids were wonderful.  The traffic, not so much!

We left our hearts.....

in San Francisco! 

We flew into San Francisco Friday night....to site see...see my sisters new house...work in the yard....spend time with family....Just a quick getaway.

 Scott is going home tonight (he could only come for the weekend).  Noah & I will be hanging out for the week.  We have some fun things planned....and then we will drive to Southern CA on Friday and my sister will stay there for a week playing. 

I love that my sister and her family are back in California, even if it is 6 hours in a car!

We are home from ALASKA!!

** WARNING**  There are a lot of photos with this post....A LOT! 

BUT if you want to take a peak into our fun-filled Disney Cruise to Alaska....keep looking!

 There were 23 of us on this trip (amongst the other thousands on the boat!), but my immediate family was there (except for my brother & sister-in-law, Andrew & Tami) and my Aunt Lorraine & Uncle Bob were able to join us. 

 One of the first things they do on the boat, is to hold a evacuation boat drill.  They do not make you put on your life vest, but of course we wanted to experience what that would be like.  After this drill the important SAIL AWAY party is in full force up on deck 9 & 10.....

 This was party time!!  Dancing, confetti, streamers, pom poms, Mickey, Minnie....what else could you ask for?!

 My sister Stephanie & 2 of her girls, Hailey & Kate

 We explored the ship, ate some lunch, peeked in on the kids club....

we were ready for this trip to start!!!

 Our first morning was our Character Breakfast.  What a fun breakfast it was!  All of our favorite characters stopped by for chatting, autographs & pictures.  The only BAD party of this morning was that the sea was pretty rough.  It lasted until about noon and then it calmed down.  Several of our party needed to take some Dramamine to keep the morning "calm".   My niece Olivia had to leave breakfast and go relax so she could get thru the rough seas.  But, other than that, this was a perfect start to our trip!

 I don't know if this picture shows just how rough it really was!

 Every night our room stewardess (is that a word?!) would turn down our beds, leave some chocolates & a surprise towel animal.  Every night it was exciting to see what she had made for us...

 Our first full day was at sea....lots of fun activities, and lots of fun friends to spend it with!

 Our 2nd full day was traveling thru the Tracy Arm.  It was an absolutely gorgeous day...the pictures will never do it any justice.  Here are just a few shots, I did not want to bore you so I'm just including a few.  There were eagles everywhere, sea lions, waterfalls, icebergs, enormous mountains.....

 Scott took a picture of this boat and later when reviewing his pictures he noticed that this guy was also taking a picture of a boat, our boat!  Too funny!!

 My sisters and I always take a picture of the three of us when we are traveling...we call it our sisters pic....so there are a few of those on this trip.

 Sea Lions.....

 The beautiful glacier at the end of the Tracy Arm.  It was enormous.  This picture really does not show the true beauty.

 Our elephant towel animal .....

 Our first port was Skagway.  This is a tiny town....tiny.  I think it's funny when you stand at the end of the town's "downtown" street.  It looks like we just pulled into a parking spot!  It was a cute little town, but I'm serious when I say tiny.  There are only about 850 residents.  I was surprised to actually see a chapel for our church there.  But it really looked about the size of 1/4 of one of our buildings. 

 Scott went to visit a place called Jewel Gardens.  When he was there he looked right up the slope and saw this little guy.  Crazy!  Not that often you are walking around and see a bear.

 Our next port was Juneau, which happens to be the capital of Alaska.  Now this city is quite large, especially when compared to Skagway.  We booked a private Whale Watching excursion.  The boat would hold 23 people, PERFECT!!  We had a great time and saw orcas, humpbacks and sea lions.  We had perfect weather for it also.  It rains A LOT there, but we had a pretty clear day.

 Kate was really excited!

 Great tail shot!

 Emma & Noah (this shot was from our day in the Tracy Arm, who knows why it is here!)

 After our whale watching trip we took a bus to the Mendenhall Glacier.  That was amazing.  Again, perfect day for it!

 Tonight was a monkey!

 and we got a peacock!

 Our last port was Ketchikan.  Scott really wanted to see the Totem Poles, so he took the city bus and went to see them.  Noah & I walked the town and hiked a little bit too.  The city had some beautiful areas. 

 Here are some photos with some of our new friends!

Noah wanted me to take his picture doing this....why, I don't know why, because he's a boy!

 This is a little out of order. 

On our first port of Skagway, my sisters & I took the younger kids with us to a place called Liarsville.  We went to pan gold, saw a little "play", to be honest, it was lame!  But, we had some laughs while we were out!

 BUT, then he wanted me to do the same thing & he took my picture!

 Leaving Skagway....oh, but still at Skagway (told you the pictures were messed up!)

 Noah & Emma and their new friend

 Another sisters pictures, with our ship in the background

 the beauty leaving Skagway, it was awesome in person!!

 We had a blast, it was M.A.G.I.C.A.L.!!!!!!!! 
We love our Disney Cruises!!

Goodbye room 6631,

you made our week onboard fabulous!!