Mark and Gina

Birthday Party Celebration!

2010-08-08T10:16:00.000-07:00

Our backyard Sports Ball Party consisted of a slip n' slide ater fun, baseball games, exploring the fort and a Football Shaped Pinata! I know the Birthday boy had a great time and I hope everyone else did too!!

We enjoyed hosting the celebration and watching our little boy soak up his special day!

Birthday Celebrations!

2010-08-08T10:02:00.000-07:00

Our Oldest son turned five years old this week! I remember, yes, it was a long time ago, turning "a whole hand" and what a momentous time that is in ones life!

Mark and I were so excited to be celebrating with our three boys this exciting time. We were ecspecially looking forward to the day trip we planned with Grandpa, and for the party we hosted with some of our oldests' friends and their families.

Our day trip consisted of a drive North to Dayton to the Museum of the United States Air Force, and lunch out at the Clifton Mill. Grandpa was more than glad to share his knowledge of history and flying machines, our youngest was more than glad to point out, quite loudly, each time he say a "pane" (plane). Our drive home in the hail and thnderstorm added some adventure to the day and the final stop to the ice cream store topped it off!

Summer Project

2010-08-03T09:20:00.001-07:00

Our boys recieved a swing set for their upcoming birthdays! I'm calling it

their Fort. I think it's big enough to grow with them. So far, they are really enjoying it!

Swimming Lessons

2010-08-03T09:14:00.000-07:00

Our boys really enjoyed taking swimming lessons this summer. It was an intense time commitment, but I think it really served the boys well. Our oldest is really a fish when he gets around water now! It was really exciting watching them jump off the diving board! Enjoy the photos.

First Time Fishing!!

2010-08-03T09:07:00.000-07:00

...And he was This big!!!

Well, they were all pretty small fish, but our boys had a great time reeling them in.

All of Daddy's fishing history came back to him, he reminded us of the many times he went fishing with his grandpa growing up, and started new memories with our boys. Our middle guy thought it was great when he made the first catch of the day, until that little fish started flopping around, and I think he hung up his rod for the rest of the day. By contrast, our youngest couldn't get a close enough inspection of our finned friends!

We had a beautiful day and a great time, Thanks Tim & Shell for sharing the lake!

Graduation!

2010-05-21T12:44:00.000-07:00

The end of four-year preschool includes a last day of school photo, a sticker decorated gradutaion cap, and Ice Cream!!

Our big guy graduated just last night. We enjoyed a concert put on by he and all his classmates, and celebrated with a family trip out for ice cream.

We enjoyed seeing photos of his year and even some of his teachers favorite quotes of his from throughout the year.

We are very proud of our big guy!!

Timmy The Monkey

2010-05-21T12:40:00.000-07:00

During our Big Preschoolers last week of classes he was able to bring Timmy, the class pet, home for a night. Timmy helped pick strawberries in our back yard, helped on the entertainment center, still a work in progress, and of course, ended the evening with a bath ( and a trip to the dryer). The boys always love speding time with their furry monkey friend and he will be missed, I'm sure.

Transportation Exploration

2010-05-21T12:37:00.001-07:00

The two youngest, and mommy, joined our Big Preschooler one day for Transportation Exploration at school. There were emergency vehicles, motor bikes, even a Monster Truck (unfortuanely I missed the photo op for that one) , a school bus, boat, etc.

The boys loved sitting in all the vehicles, of course they made us think of our Grandpa who drives a school bus, and Uncle Jeff, you would have been proud of all the modes of transportation in one place!!

Wild Hair!

2010-05-21T12:33:00.000-07:00

Our youngest has a bad habit of making "hair gel" out of whatever his dinner, or breakfast or lunch is. This day he was finishing up a Star Donut, one of the boys favorite treats, and in the top picture you can actually see a sprinkle in his hair!

It always makes us laugh and then we just get the wash cloth ready!

Bon appetite!

Some Group Shots

2010-05-21T12:09:00.000-07:00

Some fun group shots of my boys!

And a single shot of our youngest, trying to remove his hat while playing out in the rain.

Nashville Trip

2009-12-16T10:10:00.000-08:00

Well since our boys enjoy "Soupy" ("snoopy") and the Peanuts Gang so much, we took the opportunity to go see the whole gang carved out of ice in Nashville Tennessee.

We enjoyed our trip down, including a stop for lunch at Frisch's, the boys new favorite place to eat, just like their dad. When we arrived at the Ice exhibit and the employees stopped us to give us our parka's, we looked at them, like, "do we really need these, we're all bundled in winter clothing"? They quickly replied that we would want the extra gear bexause it was only 6 degrees inside! After about a half hour that starts to feel stinging cold!

The boys loved the characters and really enjoyed the ice slides, mom and dad enjoyed those too!!

Christmas At Church

2009-12-16T09:53:00.000-08:00

Well, "it takes all kinds". We have spent time celebrating both tradtions of Christmas with our family at Church in the past few weeks.

Pictured above is our oldest in his stage perfoming debut as none other than "Jesus". That's right, his first ever performance and he was asked to play "young Jesus", he would tell you he played "4-year old Jesus", something he could seemingly relate to very well. In the foreground is "baby Jesus", played by our youngest becuase "he's a baby" his brother said!

Mommy played Mary, of course, and pictures of her in her lovely costume have amazingly dissapeared, haha!

The boys were part of the "Stations of the Crib" and enjoyed their time up on the altar/stage.

We also took the family to breakfast with Santa, where we ate, made crafts, visited with the big guy himself and spent time chatting with friends and fellow parishioners. We enjoyed both activities.

Fall trip to the Zoo

2009-11-03T10:35:00.000-08:00

You guessed it, back to the zoo! We went so many times in the spring, and a bit in the summer too, that we just had to go for a visit in the fall (stay tuned for Zoo lights in the winter).

The boys and I watched animals, and fountains, all over the park and then Daddy met us there for a trip on the carousel. It was a beautiful fall day and we all enjoyed getting outside!

Halloween At Grandma's!

2009-11-03T10:29:00.000-08:00

Grandma and Grandpa went to visit the one cousin who doesn't live in the area, for Halloween weekend. So, a special party was planned for everyone here, before they left town.

There was some baking, and playing and lots of costumed kids. The day included a few cute bugs, a boy and his puppy, Dash incredible, and Tigger, too!

Everyone was cute and we had a great time!

Preschool

2009-10-20T10:53:00.000-07:00

Well, it's a little behind, but this is our oldest on his very first day of preschool. He enjoys it very much. The pictures below are from this past week when the local fire department came to teach the kids about fire safety. Isn't our little firefighter cute!

Busy Day!

2009-10-20T10:39:00.001-07:00

This past weekend we enjoyed a jam packed day of family activities.

We began downtown with our first trip ever to Findlay Market, it is the closest place I have ever seen to Pike Place Market in Seattle, an old favorite of my family's growing up. I'm looking forward to go back and shopping for ingredients for a gourmet dinner.

Then we took our three boys to meet some of their favorite story book characters at an event called "Books by the Banks". A book fair for young and old alike, showcasing authors from all genres. We were able to meet many authors and see their latest books. The boys really enjoyed George and Clifford, our middle guy made sure to give each of them a hug before we left.

We continued our day with confession at the Cathedral downtown, followed by lunch at Skyline, all of my boys enjoy coney's for their Saturday lunch (although eating them out is a treat).

Then, we bundled up and braved the cold, albeit sunny, and crowds at the Covington Catholic/Highlands High School football game. Although we cheered on on the Cov Cath Colonels, they were down when we left a little after half time.

The day was busy, but we all had a wonderful time, and enjoyed some new places and events!

Home Improvement Project

2009-10-13T11:31:00.000-07:00

This first photo shows why we needed to replace our front door. (Think puddles inside) After tackling the back door last summer, my husband felt up to the challenge. Our foyer felt so much bigger with this as our entrance, but alas, practicality set in and so did our door.

What's a new door without a new floor to go with it!

Our beautiful new entry way still has one or two details unfinished, but the new entry door, sidelites, storm door and tile floor, complete with decos, has added a new and cozy entrance to our home, not to mention waterproof!

Summer Fun with Family

2009-10-13T11:17:00.000-07:00

Here's the family, with Nanna and Grandpa, at a Reds Game!

Aunt Sarah always brings smiles with her visits!

Great Aunt Ruby joined us for lunch this year when we took Great-grandpa down to the "country". The part of Kentucky, where the boys Great-Grandfather was born and raised. We visit three of his siblings, and other family members on our favorite day trip to Marion County and surrounding area.

Finally...An update!

2009-10-13T10:38:00.000-07:00

After just reading a friends blog I feel so much better. She just added their first post in four months, she said after a busy summer, the problem wasn't finding something to blog about, it was finding the time to blog!! My sentiment exactly. So, I have gone back in our family photo archives to June 2009 and will give you a sample of the things that kept us busy these past few months. Hope you enjoy the view of snanshots into our everyday lives.

The order is a little mixed up, but this was the introduction into the football season. Training camp, which can't come too soon for me, after the dry spell of no football news since the draft in early spring. Thankfully, our team is keeping us smiling so far this season. Although our boys enjoyed the ropes course more than the football players, it was great to see them all in some orange and black. Who Dey!
The boys enjoyed plenty of fresh air and sunshine this summer, many afternoons spent hanging out on our deck, where I could keep an eye on all three of them at once. They're watching a bug they had found on this plant.

After catching a Reds Game earlier in the day, we took a drive South to Big Bone and played some putt putt, so the summer was full of sports, too.

Even our youngest enjoyed himself, such a happy baby!

What's summer without Ice Cream!!

We finally took our boys rock climbing. Our middle guy climbs All the time at home, but was, unfortunately, a little hindered by his harness.

A summer trip to the zoo with friends. Had a great day.

Some indoor activities, or "projects" as the boys call this, kept us busy, too. Here they are creating cards for Father's Day. We love our daddy!

We attended a minor league game close to our house early in the season with some friends, and had fun playing a little ball of our own in the viewing area.

This was taken on one of the few very hot days this summer at the March for Life in Newport, Kentucky. An annual event we really enjoy attending.

Well, I hope you enjoyed this sample of photos, I'll try to keep them coming.

Tumbling Expo

2009-05-30T09:52:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not the theme for the tumbling student expo was "A day at the Zoo"

Check out the tiger in the middle of the photo. Our "Tiger" has been taking tumbling lessons once a week since last fall, and really has a good time. His class was the youngest group of students, and they really enjoyed watching the older students perform.

Some cute photos

2009-05-30T09:44:00.000-07:00

Well, we sometimes even take photos when we aren't at the zoo, hahaha.

Here is just a small sampling of some cute, recent photos.

Zoo with Grandma

2009-05-30T09:38:00.000-07:00

Fast foward a week or two from the last post and we visited the zoo again! This time with some cousins, aunts and Grandma, to celebrate her birthday. Happy Birthday Grandma, we had a great time!

Zoo with Grandpa

2009-05-30T09:34:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago the boys and I took grandpa on a trip to the zoo. (Daddy was attending the Third Annual Thomas O'Daniel Memorial Golf outing) We saw many animals up close, enjoyed the beautiful weather and finished with a ride on the merry-go-round. Thanks for coming Grandpa, we had a great time!

Babies in the Shower...or tub!

2009-05-11T10:56:00.000-07:00

I just thought this title was cute with the post below! Give my sister a little time and she'll have cute tub photos to post someday soon. As you can see, our little guys love bath time!!!

Baby Shower!

2009-05-11T10:53:00.000-07:00

Last week my sisters and mom and I had a baby shower for my sister, she is due the beginning of June and we can't wait to meet her baby! I hosted the party and took very few photos, but it was a fun celebration with lots of friends, food and baby gifts.

Lets go fly a Kite

2009-05-11T10:47:00.000-07:00

As opposed to a previous post, the wind was actually blowing this beautiful day. The kite flying kept our oldest busy while we mulched all weekend! You can barely see it, but he kite is flying over the house with all of the kite string unwound, it was awesome to see!! As a bonus we managed to land the kite without entangling it in anything. A very successful kite fly!!!

Another trip to the Zoo

2009-05-11T10:43:00.000-07:00

We have already gotten quiet the use out of our zoo pass this year. These photos are from a weekday trip with some friends. Two moms and six boys! Thanks for inviting us Jenn. We had a great time.

Minnesota/Wisconsin Trip

2009-05-11T10:25:00.000-07:00

Well, this trip was back in April, but we took so many photos I've had "bloggers block" trying to figure out which ones to post! Of course we have stayed busy since returning home from this trip and have many other photos to post, so I am finally just updating the blog and I hope you enjoy what you see.

Our trip began after arriving at the MN airport after an hour and a half airplane ride with the boys. It went well, but an hour and a half doesn't seem long until you have a 19 month old to occupy! We immediately drove to WI to visit three family farms! Yes, three! We saw lots of animals, and family too! The kids really enjoyed feeding the animals and collecting fresh eggs.

Friday night we stayed with some of my dads family, thanks again Uncle Tony & Aunt Cindy, and Saturday morning we had a visit with a lot of my dads syblings and Nonna too!

Also, our boys got to catch up with their young cousin who lives in Wisconsin. (Picuted above with our middle son)

The reason for the trip was to celebrate my Aunt Marilynn's and Uncle Rod's (on my moms side) 50th Wedding Anniversary. They threw a great party and we enjoyed seeing even more family at their Mass and celebration.

The trip wasn't complete without lots of time in the car, a trip to urgent care, not making it on our flight home with our luggage and of course airplane watching with Grandpa.

Suffice it to say, it was an adventure of a weekend and we had a great time!

Bunny Cake!

2009-04-23T17:14:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure how long my mom has been making this bunny cake, but he hopped in for another appearance this year for the grandkids. After dying Easter eggs at grandma's house we were sent home with this sweet little character, and wasted no time in enjoying him! Even our little guy got in on some frosting, with some help from Daddy.
Here comes Peter Cottontail...

Easter!

2009-04-23T17:01:00.000-07:00

We had a fun morning hunting for eggs and baskets! The boys got some fun new games! Then we spent most of the day enjoying time with both sides of the family and of course going to Easter Mass, it was a beautiful, blessed day. We thank God for many gifts he has given to us.

Zoo Blooms Part II

2009-04-13T16:29:00.000-07:00

We took the boys to the zoo, as a family this time, the day before Easter. There were many more flowers in bloom this time and we took part in a few special Easter celebrations.

Spring is in the air

2009-04-13T16:19:00.000-07:00

...And in the garden. The Mary statue and the Snow Fountain Cherry tree in full bloom are both from our garden. Mark has worked very hard on our landscape and I think one of my favorite things is when the Cherry has blossoms covering the entire tree, it doesn't last long, but every year it marks the beginning of many more beautiful plants blooming and sprouting new green foliage. Later this year I'm ecspecially looking forward to the flowers I'll be watching grow in my cutting garden to make into bouquets to bring inside and give as gifts.

Of course we enjoy running around our yard sometimes too. The boys both tried out their brand new kites for their very first kite flying experience. We did get the kites off of the ground, but I think we'll wait for a little windier day to really see what they can do! Let's go fly a kite!

Zoo Blooms Part I

2009-04-13T16:09:00.000-07:00

Well, it was a nice day in Cincinnati and they seem to be few and far between these days, we've even had snow in the past week!! So, I took advantage of the beautiful weather and took the three boys to the zoo by myself. Thankfully, they were all well behaved and we took a nice little walk around the zoo and enjoyed both the animals and some of the thousands of spring flowers just beginning to bloom there. We had a great time!

Busy Weekend

2009-04-02T10:40:00.000-07:00

We kept moving and were hardly home this weekend. We took all three boys to their first stage production and saw "Charlotte's Web" live at the Taft theatre in Cincinnati. Everyone's favorite character was, of course, Charlotte.

Then, we had two fun birthday parties to attend. The first was for a friend of ours at Chuck E Cheese's first birthday! We ate, played, chatted, and evendid a little drving with the Big Cheese himself.

Our weekend concluded with lots of family celebrating Grandpa's birthday and viewing photos from Grandma & Grandpa's recent trip to Germany.

We kept busy but enjoyed our whole weekend!

Brothers!

2009-04-02T10:30:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure if we have any previous blogs with this title, so it may be the first post called "Brothers", but I'm sure it won't be the last. We enjoy our boys, and they enjoy spending time with eachother!

How many little people can you fit into one play gym anyway?

Dinner Out

2009-03-15T16:48:00.000-07:00

Well, really dinner outside!

It was in the mid fifities out on this beautiful March Sunday afternoon. We packed up the boys, grabbed some fried chicken and headed to the park.

We had a lovely time eating, taking a walk and we even fit in a little frisbee throwing (and chasing) and a couple tosses of baseball. Hope you enjoy the photos as much as we enjoyed going out and enjoying the fresh air!

Roaaarrr!

2009-02-22T13:25:00.000-08:00

Well, that is the boys' new favorite noise to immitate since we went to visit the brand new Dinosaur exhibit last week at the Cincinnati Museum Center.

We had gone the week before to the museum just to play and we walked by one of the stationary dinosaurs in the Natural History exhibit area, just to make sure the boys wouldn't be scared at the special dino exhibit. Well, all they did was roar so we figured we were safe to take them to the special exhibit and it didn't disappoint. Life size moving and noisy dinosaurs made up the exhibit and they are now a favorite topic around our house. Hope you enjoy the movie and photos. Don't be scared!

Cousins!

2009-01-25T12:02:00.001-08:00

Well, the one in the middle of the last picture isn't a cousin, but a very proud Grandpa who both boys middle names are named after. It was wonderful to finally meet the new cousin from Wisconsin. The boys are one month and a day apart in age and we're so excited for them to be so close in age as they grow up.

Blessed Baptism

2009-01-25T11:58:00.001-08:00

Last Saturday almost all of our family was able to make it to Saint Timothy Church to help us celebrate our baby boys Baptism. We were so thankful so many of you could make it for such a blessed occasion.

Family Fun

2009-01-25T11:51:00.000-08:00

As part of a Christmas gift we were given the opportunity to go paint pottery. All five of us went and Mommy & Daddy helped paint a "piggy" band for each of the boys. Our oldest painted a car, of course!, all by himself and it sits now in his transportation themed bedroom, he loves to show his pottery creation off. We had a great time! Thanks Aunt Annnette & Uncle Adam

Zoo Animals

2009-01-02T09:13:00.000-08:00

The boys recieved these awesome towels along with our family zoo pass for Christmas. Aren't they a cute pair. Roar!

Let it Snow?

2009-01-02T09:06:00.000-08:00

Well, since it doesn't snow in 60 degree weather, the boys and I decided to draw snow scenes with our sidewalk chalk on the back deck. It's an interesting activity for December 29th, but we enjoyed it, and the sunshine too!

Our Boys

2009-01-02T08:53:00.000-08:00

Just a sampling of some of the fun shots we've taken these past few weeks while Daddy has been home from work. We couldn't love these three little guys more. Hope they make you smile too!!

Christmastime Downtown

2008-12-23T09:07:00.000-08:00

Mark took this past Friday off work so we could head as a family into downtown and catch a few of our favorite holiday traditions. It felt a little funny celebrating Christmastime in 50 degree weather, but that didn't stop us. We spent most of our time exploring at the Museum Center. We took in the train displays (and ride, too!) at Holiday Junction, and we made our second visit into see Clifford and his friends. We finished by having lunch on Fountain Square and wishing it was cold enough to try out ice skating (which Z has been asking to do ever since he saw it on Charlie Brown's Christmas) Maybe we'll add that to our day downtown next year!

Wishing you all a Merry & Blessed Christmas. Check back later for photos of Christmas morning!!!

The bottom picture is our youngest in an outfit his Nonna recently sent down from Minnesota. Thanks Nonna, he looks so cozy and cute in it!

NEW BABY!

2008-11-20T06:59:00.000-08:00

Our third son arrived Sunday morning. Here are a few family photos. We'll send all his stats in his birth announcment. He is a handsome little guy just like his two big brothers and their daddy!

Our Little Trick or Treaters

2008-11-01T10:17:00.000-07:00

The boys had a wonderful time dressing up this year to head out for the Halloween holiday.
Our little "Crocodile" and Penguin were very cute and brought home lots of candy!
Happy Halloween!!

Take me out to the ballgame!

2008-08-20T10:30:00.000-07:00

We took a half day and took our boys to their first ever baseball game. The day included beautiful, mild, non-humid weather, a grand slam, home run fireworks, a win for the home team, and singing the famous baseball tune, non-stop the whole way home. Priceless.

My big brother did it

2008-08-20T10:26:00.000-07:00

This was one of our oldest little guys first pieces of artwork after being given dry erase markers for his easel. Of course he had just been told to use the markers on the white part of the easel only. So much for a three year old listening to his mom!!

Birthday Party Fun

2008-08-20T10:09:00.000-07:00

Well, this is actually our first of two birthday parties this month. Our next party will be celebrating both our boys birthdays with our families. This party was just for our older monkey who had a Curious George party with some of his friends and their families.
Grandma made the adorable Monkey under the Palm Tree Cupcakes, they turned out so cute!
Little people and big people alike had a good time.
Thanks to all who helped us celebrate.

Birthday Trip to the Zoo

2008-08-20T09:56:00.000-07:00

Daddy took the day off and we headed for the Cincinnati Zoo, thanks to Zoo passes we recieved as a Christmas gift! We enjoyed the family time seeing animals, a little water play and even a family ride on the Merry-Go-Round, notice the baby in the back pack!

Lunch was maybe the craziest part of the day as the birthday boy was surrounded by peacocks who just wanted some of his sandwich. At one point there were 5 brightly colored birds trying to get a piece of our lunch. We finished the day with a train ride and some ice cream, had a great time!

Home Remodeling

2008-08-20T09:46:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy month for our house and us. After pressure washing the deck and concrete our new back door finally arrived and was installed in a day. Then, came the big project, installing hardwood floors! It kept us busy for a whole weekend, of course the boys and I had to spend the whole weekend out of the house, which kept both grandmas busy, and the grandpas helped with the manual labor!!
Here's a little progression of what the project looked like, including breakfast on the floor.
The job is mostly complete now, save a few finishing details, and looks beautiful!
We thank everyone who helped us with both important parts of the job.

First Tumbling Class

2008-08-20T09:29:00.000-07:00

Well, I think we'll work backwards, but I'm hoping to update you all on what our little family has been up to these last few months we've been out of contact.
These pictures are brand new, taken only this morning at our little guys very first tumbling class. With only two other classmates the teacher was able to give lots of attention and fun instruction. So much so that "we" wanted to stay for the next class.

2008-01-31T11:42:00.000-08:00

Other Christmas outings included our trip to Zoo Lights, which started early enough in the evening that were able to see a few animal exhibits before it was dark and enjoy the grounds all lit up after dark.

And, we really enjoyed our family trip to the Museum center which included the train displays at Holiday Junction, and a ride on the kid-only train. Choo-choo!!

Pre-Christmas Activities!

2008-01-31T11:27:00.000-08:00

Once both of our little one's (notice one critiquing from the floor, the other helping daddy decorate) agreed the tree was trimmed to perfection they both enjoyed their first trip to visit with Santa, and of course, put in their wish lists.

The last three photos show our annual Christmas trip to Krohn Conservatory and of course include at least one of us in front of a "Poinsettia Tree".

Hope you enjoy our look back at some classic Christmas moments.

Christmastime!

2008-01-31T11:14:00.000-08:00

"Little" Holiday Fun!
The cooking festivities kick off the day after Thanksgiving, marking the beginning of the Christmas season. "Cookie Day" held a few surprises for those of us who have been participating from the very beginning. But, new comers like these handsome little chefs really enjoyed the time with family and sneaking a few pieces of candy while their gingerbread houses were under construction. After our little guys intro to gingerbread houses at the start of the holiday season, he was sure to point them out to us wherever we saw pictures or other houses. After the marshmallow snowman and the first candycane went missing from our humble little abode, we learned to keep our house up high, and out of the reach of little fingers!!

First Big Smiles

2008-01-22T08:59:00.000-08:00

We were getting ready for a bath, hence the bare babe, and couldn't pass up the chance to get some footage of his first big smiles (almost 3 months old).

2008-01-22T08:32:00.000-08:00

Well, we are sadly behind on our blogging, so I am still catching you up on our Fall activities. We enjoyed a tasty brunch and then a trip to the corn maze for our cousin's birthday celebration (in mid October) and had some great Fall photo ops in these first two photos.

The third photo is a picture of our little one, his mom, and his GREAT-Grandpa!! What a treat.

Our cowboy and indian enjoyed their first Halloween together.

Scallywags Abound

2007-10-21T11:10:00.000-07:00

The boys enjoy the spoils of their pillages and plunderings.

Woolfest 2007

2007-10-21T11:07:00.001-07:00

Intermission

2007-10-21T11:02:00.000-07:00

This next photoshot was just too precious to pass up...

Fall Festivities

2007-10-21T10:37:00.001-07:00

Here are some photos taken during a recent family outing...

Although mom had nearly a three-foot advantage in height and could easily see above the bales of straw, our son dashes for the finish line and claims the checkered flag.

While perusing the pumpkin patch, these two stake out their positions in wait for the Great Pumpkin!

Batman returns.

"Can We Build It... Yes We Can!"

2007-10-21T10:13:00.000-07:00

Since Bob the Builder has quietly claimed first place among my son's topics of interest (sorry Lightning McQueen), it seemed appropriate to introduce him to some real tools - the hammer was by far his favorite.

King's Island!

2007-10-02T12:12:00.000-07:00

It was our first trip to an amusement park with the boys!

This little guy loved the Merry-Go-Round so much, he rode it twice!

Our little boy isn't fond of real life characters, but our nephew was so glad to meet Scooby Do!

The two boys just looked so cute driving their own little car.

We really enjoyed our day!

Gotta' Love the Outfit

2007-10-02T12:04:00.000-07:00

What can I say, I like clothes...These are some of my favorite outfits, thanks to family who have given them to our cute little guy.

And also, Go Bengals!

Baptism

2007-09-12T09:40:00.000-07:00

Our little one's beautiful Baptism took place on September 9, 2007.

It was followed by a lovely brunch shared by lots of family.

Visits and Visitors

2007-09-12T09:24:00.000-07:00

This is a picture from our first visit to Great Grandpa's house after the new baby's arrival, he sure thinks we have "two fine little boys".

The second two are photos taken when family came to visit for Baptism weekend. Thanks so much for making the trip!
We love you.

My little family

2007-09-12T09:20:00.000-07:00

All three boys, aren't they handsome!

The Early Bird Gets the Worm...

2007-08-22T09:04:00.000-07:00

... and the early baby gets the (milk) so the saying goes. Yes, our son arrived sooner than expected. He was born this past Friday (8.17.07), three weeks prior to his anticipated arrival. Here are a few pics capturing the moments and memories following his birth. Enjoy!

Mommy and Daddy holding their two boys.

Grandpa and Grandma taking a moment to introduce themselves to their newest grandchild.

The cousins hammer out specifics for initiating the lil' one into their possee, while uncle and nephew discuss the nuances between the windsor and double-windsor.

Nanna and Grandpa and baby.

"I'm feeling a lot of love man."

- Filmore, Cars

Big brother seeing how his lilttle brother will measure up!

Mommy and the boys... and bear.

Returning Home Before the Stroke of Twelve

2007-08-18T12:37:00.000-07:00

It was decided that we should leave all the comforts of home, and her Obstetrician, to take a road trip to Chicago... with but four weeks before her due date, of course! And that is precisely what we did, while spending time visiting with family and friends at a cousin's wedding reception:
The little one extends a token of affection to his mother...

...and triumphantly receives his kiss in return!

Later that same evening, my son and his Auntie discuss current events likely comprising of Cars film collectables and the intricacies of fine ports and imported beers.

Second Birthday!

2007-08-05T17:01:00.000-07:00

We had a great Second Birthday party!! Lots of family and fun and CARS! Z now doesn't want to go anywhere without a selection of "Big McQeen", "Little Mater", or "Big Mater". We're so glad so many of you could make it and hope those of you who couldn't enjoy the pictures.

2007-08-05T17:00:00.000-07:00

This is from our day trip to Xenia, Ohio. This was actually our third stop, Young's Jersey Dairy. Z couldn't get to the fence fast enough to pet the goats. The highlight for the day was riding the train with daddy and getting to ring the bell on his train car. Finally, we finished with ice cream before heading home.

Ready for a parade!

2007-08-05T16:52:00.000-07:00

Z likes to keep things neat and orderly, including all of his toys and trucks. The living room seems to either be a parking lot, or where the parade starts!

First Post

2007-06-13T18:20:00.001-07:00

Welcome to our Blog. More to come...

This is a picture taken from our trip to Gatlinburg, TN over Mother's Day weekend. Our cabin was called Leave It Behind, and that is just what we did... we left the boy's music CD at the cabin. This is no ordinary CD mind you, for it is a special CD that we use to lull our son to sleep at night!