Lexi & Zack

Finally a POST

2011-05-22T21:43:00.008-04:00

WOW, I just looked at the last post and it was after the kids' birthday in the fall. SO much has gone on over the last 6 months. Rather than try to post on it all, I am just going to start from the last month.

Mainly because I cannot get this video to go through email, I am going to start with a video from Zach's game on Saturday. He is doing AWESOME with soccer. And absolutely LOVES it.

Zach is in the blue shorts. He starts this play off. ENJOY :)

Birthday Party 2010

2010-10-18T21:13:00.007-04:00

We celebrated the kids birthdays this past weekend. Despite the wind, it turned out to be a beautiful day. Sandy Bottom Park is such a beautiful area in the fall!!

Just looking at Alexis' hair you can see how bad the wind was blowing. We ended up not being able to set out a lot of the decorations and decided against the arts and craft project. But it was still alot of fun!!

This little fellow was not on the guest list, but he sure did enjoy the chips.

Nicole was my party planner for the day:) She does such an awesome job!! She had two games for the kids to play. The first the kids had to soak up water with a sponge and squeeze it into another bucket. Suprisingly, it was really a tie:)

It was the girls against the boys.

The next game the kids had to carry a fresh egg (not hard boiled) on a spoon down and around a bucket and back to the next person in line. The suprising thing was that not a single egg was broken or even cracked.

And that was even after little Ms. Grace kept dropping her egg!!

After games we came back to the table for cake and presents. Boy did the candles on the cake prove to be a challenge. My fingers were burning from trying to get them lit.

We used a box and my hands just to keep them lit long enough for them each to blow them out.

This is Alyssa. You may remember May 2009 I took her mommy and daddys pictures while they were still pregnant. Well, her she is at 16 months old. She is such a sweet angel.

And this is Magen and I:) My Best Friend and Alyssa's mommy!

Since they were down here from Maryland for the party, one of the things they asked me to do was take a family photo for them. Such a beautiful family!!

After all of our guests were gone, the kids spent a little time playing on the playground. Here they are sitting on a truck that is on a spring that you rock back and forth on. They laughed the whole time. I just love when they laugh:)

Look at this little devilish grin!

Such a sweet smile.

I am not sure what he was trying to do here, but it doesnt look comfortable.

Play Ball

2010-09-23T21:17:00.009-04:00

It is Fall Ball time!! Both kids are finally old enough to play T-ball and their first practice was Tuesday night. Tuesday they were both super excited before and after practice. They were able to practice fielding a ball, swinging a bat, running to 1st base and throwing.

Alexis fielding the ball. The look on her face says she means business!!

Time to practice batting. I have to admit I was really surprised at how well Alexis paid attention and listened to all of the coaches. She really did well!! Zach was very reserved during the whole practice. I could tell he was just taking it all in.

Listening and following thru with what the coach was telling them about swinging a bat.

Swing buddy!!

I think the mouth wide open helped her swing better.

The tongue helped this time:)

He has such a delicate swing.

There we go, a nice good swing. And a smile on his face.

This coach was talking to them about running to 1st base. He took the time to run with each child all the way down to 1st.

Zach chasing him:) Zach may not hit the ball super hard, but I am sure he will out run it. He is fast!!

So, running is not Alexis' best quality:) She tried hard though so that was good.

Now time to work on throwing. This coach was really good with the kids. He was funny and very encouraging. I really liked that.

I think lifting the leg helps with the throw!!

See it worked for Alexis too.

Showing Zach the technique to throwing.

Look a glove that doubles as a hat.

She was serious about catching the ball!!

Oh look, there is another hat.

So, our first game is this Saturday. Right now we only have two T-Ball teams in our league so they will play each other this week. I am sure it will be a lot of organized kaos. But hopefully the kids will have fun, learn alot and begin to love the sport. I am looking forward to it.

Back to School 2010

2010-09-07T21:56:00.005-04:00

So, it's the first day of school!! Yay!! Oh, did I say that out loud? The kids had a pretty good day. They were up this morning and excited about going. I have taken their picture by this tree every year. Boy have they grown!!

Zack looks super exicted.

Uh, oh!! There's our yellow chariot waiting on us:) I promise I was on time and she was early. So glad it is a private school. Public school would have kept on driving.

And they are off!! The little head that you see just above the word Lutheran is Alexis. They were watching and waving to me as they left the parking lot!

So, you think once they are on the bus all is good, right?? Well sort of. I waited patiently until after 3:30 today to call and check on the kids. They were to leave school at 3:00 and I expected them at Grandma's around 3:15 or 3:20. At 3:30 they pulled up. Alexis immediately jumped on the phone and started telling me all about her day. I can tell she was excited and had a good day because she was a chatterbox!! Zack not so much. Poor thing, he had a day!! First, he didnt eat much lunch, then he was bit by what he called a wasp during recess, and finally he fell asleep on the bus on the way home. Poor little fellow. He was pooped today. To much excitement. I hope tomorrow brings a quieter day for him:)

New York Part 2

2010-07-26T22:35:00.016-04:00

WOW!! Only 6 weeks later, but finally Part 2 of our New York Trip.

The second Play Day was spent at the Long Island Game Farm. I have to admit I really wasnt sure what we were getting ourselves into as we walked up to the gate, but I was pleasantly surprised once we got in. This place was like Blue Bird Gap Farm, but NY style (and expense I might add). It was literally 5 minutes from my SIL's house, but very big and a good variety of animals. I must have passed it a half dozen times driving around their area, and never even noticed it.

Our first stop...feed the deer!! Thats right. We were inside the fences surrounded by hungry deer. The kids absolutely loved it. They thought it was so cool.

And boy were the deers HUNGRY!!

Zack was a little nervous at first, but warmed right up to it.

Hey, who does this look like?

Aunt Gwen handed out the food to the kids. They probably would have gone through the whole cup if we would have let them.

For weeks before we went to NY Alexis had been asking to ride a horse. The funny thing was there is a horse stable right across the Game Farm that offered rides, but after calling I quickly erased that idea out of our plans. It was $50 for a 30 minute ride!!

But for $5 the kids were able to ride the pony at the Game Farm:) That made my wallet very happy!! And the kids too!!

She is so sweet:)

Zack's turn. And he was just as happy as Alexis.

My little handsome man:)

The next feeding area were the Baby Goats. They were so cute. For I believe $3 you could purchase a bottle to feed the babies. So, of course we did.

As soon as they handed you the bottle the goats basically attacked you.

Both bottles were empty in a matter of minutes.

So we just stayed and played for awhile. Alexis looks like she is talking to them in this picture. It is as if she was trying to gather them up and lead them somewhere.

This by far is the sweetest picture. It looks as if the baby goat is telling Alexis all of its secrets. Just a sweet moment:) I can really see Alexis working with animals when she gets older.

And while Alexis is playing with all of the animals, Zack is on the other side digging in the dirt with a rock. And to think, I actually wondered why I had so many rocks in my bags when we got home:)

Ostrich

I was really trying to get the Ostrich to stick its head through the fence so I could get this picture. Oh well, close enough.

Here they are trying to feed the Ostrich. Some of the animals had these long tubes leading to the cage that still allowed you to feed the animal, but also keep a safe distance from them.

This sheep almost jumped out trying to get to our cup of food.

The next few are taken during the Dog Show that we watched, but I wasnt really supposed to be taking pictures. They said no photography. I guess some rules are made to be broken.

They even had a few rides in the Farm. The kids liked the train although Zack was mad because Alexis sat on the side that could control the bell.

Alexis with the baby ducks. See, I told you she loves animals!!

New York Part 1

2010-07-23T23:33:00.035-04:00

So as I wade through 300+ pictures from our trip to NY I have decided to break it up into multiple blog posts. Our trip was 6 days long, with three days devoted to travel, one full day for my nephews High Graduation Party, and two full days to play:)

The first play day was spent at Atlantis Marine World. This was a huge Aquarium with a wide variety of animals and shows.

Some of the seals were in a tank outside the Aquarium. This one just looked so wierd to me.

A quick picture of the kids before going in.

Once inside the first stop was feeding the Stingrays.

Zack and Alexis trying to feed the Stingrays. Both of them wanted to, but neither one would stick their hand down in the water far enough for them to take the food.

Alexis was just dying to pet this lizard.

Zack went up to it and the lizard pooped on the boys shirt!! He was outta there after that.

Awe, isn't she so precious??

From right to left - Gwen (Winks sister), Zack, Alexis and Eddie (Gwens Husband). They were our hosts for the long weekend.

Piranas

I just love this picture:) I think I am gonna print it just so I can see it in print too.

So can you hear the Jaws theme now? Looks like they are looking at each other.

So sweet, in a Shark kinda way. A baby and its mommy:)

Seahorse!! These were my favorite things when I was little.

I think this is the first Octopus I have ever seen up close. The outside of its tank was covered in frost from how cold the water was inside. It was really neat.

The seal show. Thank God this show was only about 15 minutes long because it was outside with no shelter overhead and the seats were made out of stone. They were so HOT!! Oh, and if you didnt catch it, the show is based from American Idol.

The host.

Wow, this was a lucky photo.

The monkeys. Of course, Zack loved this part!!

This monkey was so funny. He just walked over to Gwen like he knew her, and starred at her for about 5 minutes. I guess he did know her because it was his own reflection he saw in her glasses!!

I wanted to get a picture of all three of them with the Monkey, but as soon as I moved toward them so did the rest of the crowd. They all just overtook our spot.

Eddie, Wink and Zack standing on the side of the wading pool. You could actually walk into the water and touch crabs. (yes, I am the fool standing in the water)

I broke the rules to get this shot of all the Penguins. Yeap, I was standing on the wall leaning over a glass barrier:) But I got my shot. They were to cute to pass up!!

Here we are back at the Stingrays again before leaving out. These things were so funny. They were not shy at all. They would stick their faces up out of the water as if to say, Please feed me!!

After getting a few souvenirs we were done for the day. It was about a 20 minute drive back to the house and time to rest for the night:). Thank you to Gwen and Eddie for taking us to the Aquarium. The kids loved it, as did we all!!!

A Day in the Pool

2010-06-06T22:12:00.017-04:00

Welcome to what will become our second home this summer...the POOL!! I think we have already spent more time in it this year than we have the last three summers. Here are a few shots from our time today. The kids spent over THREE hours in it today.

Alexis is so super excited because she can finally touch the bottom. It really helps me out a lot knowing that she can be more independent in the pool now. Zack is still just a few inches short from being able to touch. I am so glad that we put them in swim class over the winter because it really helped a lot.

Zack uses this noodle as his "horsie". He rides it all around the pool.

Watch out...Cannon Ball.

Wink is splashing her.

Zack wanted his picture taken while he was under the water. When he is not riding "horsie" he is hanging out around the ladder. I think it is his safety net:)

My blue eyed bug boy. Isn't he handsome:)

Alexis swimming under water. She was excited that she can go from one side of the pool to the other without taking a breath. (and the pool is 16 feet around)

Just chillin.

Oh wow, look they are both together for a pic. That was a miracle.

I don't know if this is a look of exhaustion or determination.

Oh wait there they are together again. Although it looks like she was getting ready to smack him with the noodle.

Wink teaching them how to dive.

This had to of hurt!!

Monsters on the Beach 2010

2010-05-09T22:02:00.021-04:00

Every year on Mother's Day weekend, VA Beach hosts the Monsters on the Beach show. We have always talked about taking the kids, but for one reason or another just never did until this year. And of course, I couldnt just get regular tickets for the show, I had to get the Monster Experience tickets that enabled us to go into the pits and meet the drivers!!

The kids had a blast!! They were given event shirts that night. All of the drivers signed their shirts and they just thought that was coolest thing!! (Alexis wore hers THREE days in a row) I finally had to wash the shirts and have them hidden in their closet.

Here are a few shots of them getting their shirts signed. I have to say, all of the drivers (except one, which I didnt post any of his pics) were very nice. They enjoyed talking with the kids and were more than willing to pose for photos.

Look at Zack's hair blowing. Poor things, they were beaten by the sand that night.

Grave Digger!!

This is the kids new Idol. This is Kidd KJ. He drives the Monster Bear monster truck. And he is only SIX years old!!! Alexis said she wants to drive a monster truck. HAHA!! Scarey thought.

Even though he didnt race in the show, he still was more than willing to give autographs.

After spending time in the pits and getting autographs we ventured a little ways down the beach so I could fullfill a promise I made to Alexis. (secretly, I was going to do it no matter what) To the tune of $8 each we got to ride in a real Monster Truck. They had two trucks going and the one we rode in had 8 seats mounted in the back and two in the cab of the truck. Alexis and I rode in the cab.

This is her after the ride. She said it was SO COOL!! I would have to agree. Awesome is the only way to describe it. Now if I could just DRIVE one!!

After our ride, it was time for the show. The sun was setting and it was a beautiful night for a monster truck show. This is Stone Crusher, or the one with Tarzan on it as Zack said, he is from VA Beach.

Grave Digger and Bad Habit. So glad Grave Digger won. Bad Habit was the rude driver:)

Blow this one up, it is a beautiful picture with the truck and the water in the background.

This is Megasaurous!! Once the kids realized he was not going to shoot any canons (flashbacks to the show at the Hampton Coliseum) they thought he was super cool.

The race continued well after it was dark and unfortunately, this is the only night picture that turned out. I seriously need to finish reading the book on the Nikon, and I need to buy some accessories.

This was a very good night and I couldnt think of any other way to spend Mothers Day weekend then taking the kids to something I knew they would love. Afterall, if it wasnt for them I wouldnt be called MOM:)

90 Degrees in May

2010-05-05T21:41:00.015-04:00

So what do you do when it is May 2nd and already 90+ degrees outside? In our house, we break out the WATER BALLOONS!!! And when my fingers could take no more, I let the kids fill up buckets with water and just have it!!

Ready, set...Pour!!

I should have thought of this first:)

Hey, how did this get in here? hehe What ya doing over there Nic? (I should have been following her example and making Mothers Day presents, but playing in water was more fun)

And I quote (Lexi of course), "No pictures please."

Guess I should have listened!!

Yeap, this is MY daughter!!!

Zack wanted to act like a mummy.

Eventhough this is out of focus, I still LOVE that smile:)

Wink took over filling the buckets and throwing them at the kids.

Being brave.

This is a cool picture.

Ok, take your bucket and on the count of three throw it at each other. One, two, THREE!! Notice the water went BACKWARDS towards their own self:)

Spirit Week

2010-04-23T22:13:00.012-04:00

This week Gloria Dei held its Spring Spirit Week which also corresponded with the Scholastic Book Fair. Each day students were invited to dress in a different theme. Monday was Rainbow Day. Each class or grade level was assigned a different color of the rainbow. Alexis' class dressed in Blue, while Zack's class in Yellow.

Tuesday was 50's day. Here are the kids straight out of the 50's. Alexis has her poodle skirt. (Which some of you may remember from the EOY program in 2007. Yeap, when she was TWO. A little modification of the waist and it still fit) Zack has on his blue jeans with his white t-shirt. It wasnt until I got half way to the bus that I remembered he has a black leather jacket hanging in the closet. Oh well, maybe next year.

In celebration of Earth Day on Wednesday the students were encouraged to dress as a farmer, gardner or recycler. Nic had a great idea to tape any that is recyclable to their clothes. Alexis would have been all for it, but I think it may have been a little over the top for Zack. So, I put them in green t-shirts, kahkis, and straw hats.

Here is a Happy Gardner!! (sorry these two pictures were taken with my Blackberry)

And the Not So Happy Gardner!! Yes, he is hanging his head down.

Thursday was School Color day. The kids wore red t-shirts and black pants.

Friday was the most exciting day of all. (at least in Zacks opinion) The students were asked to dress as their favorite storybook character. Can you guess what they dressed as???

Alexis looked stunning in her pretty Cinderella dress.

And Zack was all business in his Anakin Jedi costume. (thats Star Wars for those that dont know)

The two of them together. They couldnt have been any more opposite then this:)

She is such a ham in front of the camera.

Just Dance

2010-04-12T21:50:00.003-04:00

The kids playing the Just Dance Wii game. Eye of the Tiger, Zacks favorite:)

Easter 2010 - Diggers Dungeon

2010-04-03T22:37:00.018-04:00

One night I was looking on Grave Diggers website trying to find out when the store opened for the season and I noticed that they were going to have an Easter Egg Hunt and Power Wheels Race this weekend. So we decided we would check it out. There was two egg hunts and no where near enough eggs for all of the kids. I don't think I have ever seen so many kids!!! It was crazy. The kids only ended up with between 5-8 eggs each:( But they did have fun.

Here is Dennis Anderson starting the hunt.

The hunt is on.

In about 3 minutes all of the eggs were gone!!!

After the Easter Egg Hunt they wanted everyone to get ready for the Power Wheels race. It turned out A LOT bigger than what they expected. They planned on about 40 kids and ended up with over 60!!!! The kids were broken up into to age groups - 5 and younger, and 6 and above. They had hoped to do bracket racing for each age group but there was just to many kids. Our age group lined the outside of the track and two by two in a drag racing style raced down the center of the track.

Alexis is patiently waiting her turn.

The boys talking strategy!!

Dennis Anderson waving the flag to get the races started.

Alexis was first in the line. Here she is waiting for the go signal.

And she is off!!! Her competition is behind her. She crossed the finish line first and won her race. Yeah!!

Zack's turn. And he's off!!

Zack won his race too:). Everyone was surprised at how fast Lightning could go. Ka-Chow!!!

The kids after the race showing off their trophies with the Easter Bunny.

Wink backing the trailor out of the farthest corner of the lot. It's pretty funny that we had to haul the kids Power Wheels on a trailor to the race. That is traveling redneck style:)

Look at how little they look compared to the truck.

And after a little shopping in the gift shop we packed everything up and headed back home. All in all it was a fun day. The kids had a blast hunting for eggs and showing off their racing skills. I cant wait til next years race. And if I know Wink in a couple of months he will start plotting out how to make the kids cars go even faster next year:) Not that we "modify" our Power Wheels!!

How Could I Forget Christmas??

2010-02-04T22:14:00.012-05:00

As I was looking through my memory cards tonight preparing to blog the Winter Storm 2010, I realized that I have not posted anything related to Christmas. I can't believe that I almost forgot Christmas. So without further delay, I present Christmas 2009.

Zacks' spread!!

Alexis' spread!!

The Zhu Zhu pets were a huge hit. Here is Alexis giving Jilly lots of love.

Zack checking out Nugget.

Oh, an Easy Bake oven. I still remember mine!! It was yellow.

Showing off her vanilla cake mix.

Zacks double barrel Nerf rifle gun. This thing is cool.

The one thing that Zack REALLY wanted...The Bat Cave!!

Titan checking out Jilly. He was not so thrilled about her.

1st Snowfall of 09/10 Season

2010-01-03T22:06:00.018-05:00

A few weeks ago we had our FIRST (I say this optimisticly) snow of the 09/10 season. After a day and a half of rain and a little sun, dusk ascended on the Hampton Roads area and the snow began to fall. The snow we did get (a whopping 3-4 inches) came hard and fast. I just prayed that it would still be there in the morning. When the little sleepy heads awoke the next morning, they were so excited for a SNOW DAY!!

Alexis is all dressed and ready to go. And not real thrilled about having to wait for the boys I might add!

Finally, Zack is ready and they are all heading out.

I tried to crop this picture so you can see the details. Yeap, thats my daughter LICKING her snow covered glove!! I promise we did feed her that morning.

Wink was more than gracious enough to form snow balls for the kids and then encourage them to throw them at me. Apparently holding a $800 camera does not exclude you from snowball fights!!

Zack and his Bugilla!! He still cant say Gorilla:)

Alexis throwing snow at me. Again, holding the camera isnt helping me out.

And its not that their throws really hurt. It's just they have absolutely no accuracy at all. I am waiting for the day I am looking through the viewfinder to see a snowball coming right at me.

The first snowman we have ever built!! So what if he is small.

Oh look, I have arms. But wait...I cant see!!! Help.

I can see, I can see. Thank you Alexis for finding me eyes.

Zack and Mr. Snowman. I told you the snowman was LITTLE.

Alexis loves the snowman no matter how small he is:)

There are two things they always want to do when we go in the backyard after it snows. The FIRST...slide down the slide!! The SECOND is get on the trampoline. (I didnt post any of those pics, sorry.)

Oh yuck, its hard to believe we will be swimming in this pool in 6 months. It had a very thin layer of ice on top.

Even Titan joined in on the fun in the snow. He loves catching and eating snow balls.

So the kids tried to drive their Mustang and Lightning McQueen power wheels through the snow. After getting stuck a few times they went in and grabbed the big battery powered 4 wheeler. Now they had fun with that.

Chirstmas Town Busch Gardens 2009

2009-12-28T22:23:00.019-05:00

For a couple of weeks now Wink and I had been talking about taking the kids to Busch Gardens for Christmas Town. Since it was mostly outside we needed to select a night when it wouldnt be to cold for the kids. My theory was to pick a day when it was a little warmer during the day, and it would be a little warmer that night. At least it was good in theory!! We set out last Wednesday with all of our heavy winter gear in hand. The kids were so excited. I dont think they even noticed the cold; at least not at first:)

Here they are when we first walked in.

There were so many real Christmas trees all over the park.

Wink and the kids.

My turn!! I was the only one without a hat.

This had to be one of the biggest snowman I have ever seen. I couldnt even get the whole thing in the picture.

The park had a couple of Penguins on loan from Sea World in CA. It was really neat the way they had the path leading to them decorated.

Isnt this one cute!!

And now the real ones:)

The kids were so excited that they really "won" these stuffed penguins. It was a game that basically everyone wins, but we didnt tell them that!!

Oh WOW, we made it all the way to the North Pole!!

And who lives in the North Pole...Santa of course!!! Here they are telling them what they wanted.

This was the view walking back across the bridge headed to Ireland. The whole park had this feel to it. It was very well decorated and just added to the Christmas spirit. By about 9:15 the cold was setting in and we headed back to the front of the park. It was about 36 degrees when we left. We all really enjoyed the visit and cant wait to see what they do next year.

Fall Fun

2009-12-27T22:39:00.018-05:00

Right before the first leaf pickup in our neighborhood, the whole family went out to tackle the front yard. Even with A LOT of playing we still managed to finish it in about an hour and a half.

Alexis was having fun playing in the pile...

while Zack was off pouting!!

He did not care for the leaves being blown in his face.

She on the other hand, LOVED it!!

I really wanted to try and take some good pictures of the kids in the leaves. This is my favorite one of her. Such a sweet face:)

Here she was posing for her shot!!

Zack did not want to smile!! Thats alright, I got him a little later on that day:)

The kids had fun burying me in the leaves. It was until they sat on me!!

I really didnt want to be on this side of the camera.

Yeap!!! This is my little girl!!

CHEEEEZZZ!!! Look at my dimples:)

Although this picture turned out a little blurry, it is still a cool idea that Zack came up with.

Now this is my SWEET little man!! I love this smile:)

Almost done for the day.

Zack pretending to sleep in their leaf bed.

Sea World, FL

2009-11-20T22:29:00.023-05:00

After landing in FL and checking into the hotel we headed to Sea World. What a neat place. Sea World was having a trick or treat Halloween Spooktacular special the day we were there. The kids got bags when we entered the park and they collected candy as we walked around. The thing I found funny was that Sea World gave out a more "healthy" type of candy. At one stop they were actually giving out bunches of bananas!!

The kids just had to climb up on this polar bear for a picture.

The park was decorated throughout with Halloween and Fall decorations. I liked the pumpkins that looked like fish.

This was one of the two rides we rode that day.

Wink rode with the kids because this spun around in circles. I dont like things that spin fast!!

The other ride we all rode was the Sea Creature Carousel. Alexis rode the dolphin.

Zack was on the hammer head shark.

This was inside the shark exhibit.

One of the shows we watched was the Sea Lion and Otter Show.

This was the pirate sword fight. Zacks favorite part.

At one point the Sea pushed the pirate off the boat and into the water. The pirate pretended that he didnt know how to swim.

And the sea lion had to jump in and save him.

The walrus at the end of the show. He was HUGE!!

The last thing we did that night was watch the Shamu Rocks show. This was great.

One of the few jumps I was able to catch. (and it was still a little blury)

Shamu at the end of the show. These animals are amazing.

Up next, our adventure to Downtown Disney.

The Hotel, Orlando, FL

2009-10-30T22:32:00.017-04:00

The Tyler Connect 2009 conference was held at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Covention center in Orlando, FL. This place was amazing!!! So much to see and do. The first night we were there we all went out exploring. The hotel is designed with 4 different themes inside it and each area is decorated accordingly. We were in the Key West wing. Very bright and colorful.

This picture was taken looking out over the kiddie pool. The area in the background was the convention center. That was about the size of most normal hotels!!!

This boat, The Gaylord, was in our wing of the hotel. Wink said it had to have been over 100 ft in length!!

A full view of the boat taken with my cell phone.

This was like a castle or fort. It was in the St. Augustines wing.

What do you suppose was in an area around the castle?? Yep, you guessed it...turtles and Alligators!! Oh and alot of beautiful Coi fish.

The kids relaxing in our room. Zack fell off the bed the first night we were there. It was around midnight and Wink and I heard a thud and I looked up and there was only 1 kid in the bed. It was really funny. When I went to scoop him up off the floor he was still asleep!! Wink said that Zack told him that his head hurt the next morning when he woke up:)

Bear just had to make the trip with us, and Shamu came home with us.

A cool picture opportunity in front of the sailboat. The kids liked taking their pictures with the fish.

More pictures to come!!!

Alexis' Birthday Song

2009-10-29T22:11:00.003-04:00

At the Magic Kingdom Mickey's Not So Scarey Halloween Party we were approached by 4 "dead" people while we were waiting for the parade to start. It turns out the group was a quartet. They sang us a song then Alexis told them it was her birthday. (she told EVERYBODY that all night) The guys then sang Alexis two versions of the Birthday song. I managed to catch the tale end of the second song. It was so SWEET!! Everyone was singing and clapping for her. It is truely something I will remember for ever.

After the song the men let her cross the rope and take a picture with them. I think she might have been a little scared of them at this point. Very serious look on her face:)

Happy Birthday Alexis & Zack

2009-10-18T21:32:00.016-04:00

On Friday, October 16th we celebrated Alexis and Zack's birthdays. The kids had a lot of fun. They really didnt seem to mind that it was just family and close friends either. The present theme for this year was:

Barbie's for Alexis

And Boats for Zack.

This is my best friend Magen with her daughter Alyssa. You may remember the Pregnancy photos I took of her and Jimmy and the post of Alyssa when she was just a day old in the NICU. Alyssa is now 4 months old and just beaming with joy and happiness!!

A few weeks ago I took the kids to Walmart and let them pick out their cakes this year. Zacks choice...Batman!! This cake was really cool.

Batman shooting out of the cave!!

Alexis' choice...The Little Mermaid. Very pretty cake.

Very girlie:)

Isnt she so sweet??!!??

What I sweet little boy!!

It never fails that every year we pick out cakes that have some CRAZY color icing. It always ends up with people having colored mouths and tongues. Here is Magen showing off her blue Batman tongue. (See I didnt put it directly on FB hehe) Sorry little inside joke!!

Alexis showing off her tongue.

Zack showing off his tongue. He said it was red from the flames from Batman and we just let him believe that:) Zack does not like cake, but he did eat a few bites of the icing.

Alexis was so desperate for another piece of cake (more icing) that she ate the icing off of Zack's Bat Cave.

This is what happens when you give a little girl blue icing!!! And a little encouragement from the Grandma's!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Alexis and Zachary. I love you both very much!!!

Sweet Lullaby

2009-10-17T23:10:00.003-04:00

Alexis sang to Baby Alyssa the other night. Just dont turn this up to loud because Zack was talking to me while I was recording Alexis. I am not sure what is up with the song choice, but it has been her song for about a week now!! I think it is funny they are both rocking.

Birthday Blessing

2009-10-01T21:44:00.012-04:00

Today Zack received his Birthday Blessing from Pastor Bugg at Gloria Dei. The blessing is a time that children are recognized and prayed for during the weekly Chapel.

This is Zack walking into Chapel with his Birthday crown on. I thought that was so cute!!

Zack and two other kids were recognized today. The funny thing, the other little boy was named Zachary too. The kids are called up and asked to kneel at the alter.

Then one by one, the Pastor talks to each one of them. It is a private conversation between the Pastor and each child.

Zack is done:)

After all of the kids have received their blessing they are all taken up onto the stage. Then the whole congregation sings Happy Birthday to them. I had to motion to Zack to smile. He looked a little uncomfortable up there.

After Chapel Zack's class went to library and I sat through Alexis' Chapel service to watch how she acted during it. She had no idea I was there watching her. And this week, she behaved!!

Around 10:15 I joined Zack back in his classroom for his Birthday snack. I made cupcakes for the class.

This is Zack with his teacher Mrs. Gibson. She is a very sweet lady and really great with the kids.

Zack and the two friends he talks about the most-Kyler is on his left and Jacob is on his right. Both boys were very nice and well behaved. Two good kids for Zack to hang around with:) The cupcakes were a huge hit with all of the kids.

Zack in front of the "fall tree" in his classroom. He told me all about the tree.

Another picture in front of the tree. It just kills me how he wont smile for pictures. He has the cutest dimple, but you have to catch him by surprise in order to see it.

Happy Birthday again Zachary!!! I hope you enjoyed your special day at school:)

4 Years Ago

2009-09-26T21:34:00.027-04:00

On September 27, 2005 the most loving little boy came into my life - Zachary Connor Adams. In the early months I often wondered if I could ever care for both Zack and Alexis. You see Alexis wasnt even one when Zack was born and well, Zack was not the easiest of babies. It seemed like he cried ALL of the time. There were a lot of trying times and struggles, but now I couldnt imagine life with out the two of them. Even though it is only 11 months that seperate the two of them, they are as different as night and day. Zack is the reserved one. Until he is comfortable in a situation he prefers to stay in the back and take everything in. Once he opens up to you he will love you with all of his heart!! He is very affectionate and caring. Although, if enough buttons are pushed he will come out swinging (and in the early times we let him).

Enjoy a few of my favorite pictures of Zack over the years. I apologize for starting with his 1st birthday, but the earlier ones are on the desktop. I promise...he does have baby pictures:)

All pooped out after his first real trick or treating.

One of my favorite pictures. I hope this isnt a sign. HAHA

What a sweet face??!!??

Did I mention he could be sensitive some times. He got a little overwhelmed at all of the caos of his 2nd birthday.

They were so cute!!!

And I made his costume:) Proud momma!!

I think this was the first and last time I got him to wear a sweater. Oh well!!

Barely any snow, but they didnt care.

His first drag race. We went to watch Michael race.

3rd Birthday. Where did my little boy go:(

He LOVES this car. Especially after it was Overhauled. Speed, I am Speed!!

Man, that must have been a rich Easter Bunny.

He may be little, but he is one brave little boy. Front row of the Bobsled at Kings Dominion.

MeMe:) This is what started the Monkey obsession.

Now this was some snow. I had a blast playing with them.

His treat for learning to potty like a big boy. Shooting a BB gun. How many 3 1/2 year olds can shoot a gun??!!

All boy on his gas powered 4-wheeler.

The new way to play the DS. Wearing Lightning McQueen goggles!!!

I could go on and on with pictures of him or both of them for that matter but I will spare you:)

Happy Birthday Zachary!!! I WUV YOU!!! (as he puts its)

The First Day of School 2009

2009-09-09T21:34:00.007-04:00

So Tuesday morning I woke the kids up at 6:30 so they could have a few minutes to be able to wake up and then start to get them ready school. We have to meet the bus at 7:40 and the bus stop is about 10-15 minutes away so we have to make sure we are up and motivated in enough time. At 6:30 Alexis actually was already awake and Zack woke up fairly easy. They watched TV for a few while I got their things ready, then we got dressed and started to head out the door. That was when it went slightly down hill. All I wanted was a picture of them together for the first day of school. Well Zack didnt want any part of it. He ran off saying he was having a bad day. So I didnt argue. This is Alexis with her smiling face on as she put it.

I usually try to take a picture of them in their seats on the way to school each year. Alexis was again all about having her picture taken.

Zack, never had the chance to argue this time:) I aimed and snapped before he even realized what was going on. I think he was in mid sentence for this picture.

So we made it to the bus stop and we waited and waited and waited. Try waiting in a vehicle with a 3 and 4 year old for 15 minutes. They started fighting with each other calling names and quick bursts of tears. I was so thankful when the bus came because at least we could get out of the truck. You see, we were having dreary wet rain that morning and couldnt stand outside.

So the kids boarded the bus. Zack went on first and got a seat towards the middle of the bus. Alexis started to follow him, but turned around and sat with this little girl. I tried to get a quick shot of Alexis on the bus, but missed her face.

Here is Zack on the bus. He didnt even speak to me when I whispered to him to have a good day. He just nodded:(

Around 1:00 I called my inlaws to talk to the kids to find out how their day went at school. Zack said he had fun. He said when he got to school he saw some kids playing and he got to play with them. He said he built a boat!! Then I talked to Alexis. I asked her how her day was and she said Not so good. She told me they didnt have any food. All they had were crackers, no peanut butter, no sandwiches, nothing. I had to laugh!! I could picture her eyes rolling and her head shaking back and forth while she was saying it too. They only go to school 1/2 day so they just eat a snack. Oh, and she said they didnt get to go outside either. Nevermind that it rained ALL day Tuesday!!

All in all it was a good day. I am very pleased with the school and glad that (minus the whole snack issue) they like it. Oh and by the way, she told Grandpa that it was Cheese Its she had for snack:) She is such a Drama Queen!!

Where We are Headed

2009-09-06T22:58:00.002-04:00

I realized today that alot of you are not on Facebook and have not been able to keep up to date on alot of things that have been and are going to be going on in our lives.

First, about a month and a half ago Wink bought me a new car. Well it is new to us:) He bought his uncles 1989 Mustang Convertible. He swears it is for me and will save me gas, but I think he bought it to tinker with. It has not run in about 3 years but has a new engine and transmission and a fairly new top. Considering its age it is in decent condition. It had to hitch a ride to the house on a tow truck, but is now running and almost ready for the open road. I will post pictures of it once it is pulled back out of the garage.

And now to the future. School starts in two days. Both kids are going to Gloria Dei Lutheran School in the Fox Hill area of Hampton this year. Alexis is entering Kindergarten and Zack Pre-K. I will be taking the kids each morning to the bus stop and the bus will take them straight to Grandma's front door in the afternoons. I am really excited about this school and all they have to offer the kids. Both kids will get time in the computer lab with Zack going every other week and Alexis going every week. They are really excited about that. Zack will have a Chef Combo class every other week to teach him about healthy eating. (We will see if it works.) Plus a lot of other exciting things as the year goes on.

With the start of fall also brings their birthdays. Zack will be four at the end of September and Alexis will be five the end of October. My has time flown by. I have not really decided what type of party we will have this year although I imagine it will be pretty low key.

And the best news comes towards the end of October. And NO, its not Halloween this year!! Although that is normally pretty exciting. Wink, Alexis and Zack will be joining me on a business conference to Orlando, FL. I will be attending a conference Oct 25th-28th for my job and we decided since my flight and the hotel would be free, we would take everyone down. We plan on trying to go to Sea World Sunday afternoon, after our flight lands at 1:15, for a couple of hours. Then Monday Wink and the kids will explore the hotel (Which could easily take a day. Look it up on the internet, the Gaylord Palms Hotel) or Orlando. That night we will probably go to Downtown Disney for a bit and do some shopping. Again Tuesday Wink will be on his own again with the kids, but that night will be our "big" event of the trip. We are taking the kids to Magic Kingdom for Mickeys Not so Scarey Halloween Party from 7 to midnight. I am SO excited!!! Oh, and they are too:) Oh and did I mention or did you do the math, this is the day Alexis turns 5!!! She will get to spend her 5th birthday trick or treating in Magic Kingdom. How cool is that!!She is telling everybody that she is going to FL for her birthday. I will let her believe that. This will be a very quick trip and I will be tied up most of the day in meetings, but we are going to try and make this the best trip for them. I am sure I will be ready to book the real vacation as soon as we return. I cant wait to post the pics.

Anyway, I hope all is well with everyone reading this and stay tuned. I am going to try and do better with posting now that the kids have an earlier bedtime. I said TRY!!

Newest Addition to the Power Wheels Family

2009-09-06T22:35:00.006-04:00

One Friday night Alexis and Zack spent the night at Grandma and Granddaddys and went to the Garage Sales early Saturday morning. When I went to pick them up Zack told me that he got a new four wheeler for $5. I just figured it was some sort of new toy or something. Boy was I wrong!!! He found a Peg Perego Polaris 4 wheeler. These things go between $300-$500 new in the stores. The lady swore to my mother in law that it worked it just needed a new battery. Well it did work, but it was not the battery. After severals hours of Wink and I tearing it apart we finally found a wire on the pedal that had coroaded off. Gotta love Poquoson. But he was able to fix it and the next day away the kids went. It still needs a new gear shifter but it does run and is pretty cool. This one brings our power wheel total to 5 now although the smaller 4 wheeler is out of commission right now. The switch in the pedal got stuck and took Alexis for a wild ride. Thank God we ALWAYS made them wear their full face helmets on that one. It was fast!!!

Anyway, here is the beast. It fits both of them comfortably. It is almost a little to big for Zack. But I wouldnt dare tell him that.

He does a good job driving it though. Alexis is pushing on the gear shift to keep it in high gear:)

Alexis' turn to drive. We always run for cover when ever she drives any of the power wheels. And yes, that is a dance costume the girlie girl wanna be is wearing!!!

She is trying to drive and hold the gear shifter. (I am up on the deck out of harms way.)

A Day at Busch

2009-09-06T21:46:00.009-04:00

In July my mom and I decided to take Alexis, Zack and Baby Alex to Busch Gardens for the day. A 3 to 2 ratio with the kids in the lead was sure to make for a long day. We ended up meeting up with Mike and his oldest daughter for a bit and they helped a lot with keeping up with the kids. Of course it was one of the hottest days of the year at that point, but the kids had a lot of fun.

The newest attraction to BG is the Sesame Street section of the park. And the best part of it according to the kids is the little water play area. That is where all of these pictures were taken.

This is the child that doesnt like to have a bucket of water poured over her head in the tubby to get the shampoo out. Every time I turned around she was standing under the strong stream of water.

I am not sure how often the show runs, but every so often they turn off the water and the characters come out onto a stage and sing and dance. (I think we saw the show three times while we were in the water.)
This is Baby Alexis watching the show with Grandma Cookie behind him.

My two watching the show. No mind you, the water in this area is no deeper than an inch or two and they are soaked!!!

Baby Alex really didnt know what to think of the water. It took him a long time to warm up to it. And to think...I almost took all three kids to WC by myself.

And here she is again back under the waterfall.

I was trying to get a decent picture of Zack, but the sun was so bright that day. He had to close one eye just to be able to look at me.

Baby Alex again. Warming up a little to the water. Needless to say, he wasnt as soaked as my two when we left this area.

A Little Ham

2009-08-18T23:28:00.004-04:00

There really isnt a whole lot I can say about this one!! This is Alexis at her finest:) Oh, and be sure to turn up the volume!! I really wish the batteries would not have died right in the middle of this!!

(sorry that it is sideways, I am not sure how to rotate it before I post it)

Our New Pool

2009-08-18T22:49:00.004-04:00

Wink and I knew at the end of last summer that we would have to get a new pool this year. Our old one had a hole in it (somewhere) and we spent a lot of time and money filling it back up last year. It was a good pool, it managed to last us three summers.

So, around April of this year I started looking around at the different types of pools that were on the market now. I found the same style pool, but a newer version that had stronger poles and a thicker liner. With the pool picked out I knew we needed to consider getting a bigger/better pump this year. We burnt up 1 pump and were working on the 2nd pump at the end of the season last year. And thus, more research!! And then I found the better built pool with a salt water pump online at Walmart. But I had never heard of a saltwater pool. You guessed it...more research. All of the reviews I read were great. So in May I bought the stronger pool with the saltwater filter pump system. And let me tell you, it was the BEST purchase I have made in a long time. We LOVE this pool!!!

These pictures were taken early June not long after the pool went up. I remember this time because the water was still very cool. (The downside to having a mild summer is cold pool water.) But as you can tell the kids didnt mind it one bit.

Zack riding "sharky." (everything he names ends in that ie or y sound)

Alexis' turn. (I left my turn out on purpose. haha)

This picture is not actually clear enough to see his lips, but we actually had to get out because Zack's lips were turning blue.

And can you see how crystal clear the water is in these pictures. Well, that is the way the water has been ALL summer long. We did not lose the pool (the water turn green) not once this summer. I think one time the water had a very slight miscoloring and I ran the treatment and it was crystal clear 4 hours later. Every summer we have always had to fight the elements when it came to keeping the water clear in our pool and dump tons and tons of chemicals in it to keep it clean. Usually the season ended with us giving in and just closing the pool. Not this year!! I LOVE this pool, but I already said that.

Hopefully I will be able to get a few more pictures of the kids in the pool before the weather turns and the water is cold again. The kids are actually out of their floaties now and swimming on their own!!! They use scuba masks so their noses are covered, but they are actually swimming under water. Yeah kids!! I am so proud of them.

The Miracle Girl

2009-07-20T22:25:00.012-04:00

So much has gone on over the last month that I hardly know where to begin in trying to catch up. I think for now I will share the news of my little angel. On June 9th Magen (my best friend) and Jimmy gave birth to a beautiful little baby girl named Alyssa Beth. The first opportunity I had to see Alyssa was in the NICU. She looked so little to me:)

If you look real closely at the picture you can see the reflection of dad.

Here is a little better one of her face. So sweet:)

Alyssa went home after spending just one extra night in the hospital. She is doing great. The kids and I went to visit the family a couple of weeks later. Surprisingly Alexis was the one that wanted to see the baby so much, but it was Zack who actually held her.

That was until she smelled stinky and he started to get up. Poor Alyssa was stuck in the hole in the Boppy Pillow. This is right before he dumped her:)

Playing a little with the black and white button on my camera.
Sleeping so peacefully.
And let's not forget daddy...
You can see just how little she was compared to Daddys' hands.

Magen and Jimmy I am so happy for you guys. Thank you for letting me share this part of your life with you. She truely is a beautiful girl and your miracle baby. Welcome to Parenthood!!

WCG 2009 Gym Show

2009-06-21T23:12:00.011-04:00

Saturday the kids participated in the the World Class Gymnastics floor show. This show is done to give the kids a chance to show friends and family everything they learned all year long. The show was really good. The kids did great. And of course it had to take place on the hottest day of the year so far. I bet it was 100 degrees in the gym. It didnt even bother the kids. Zack started the class in September and he absolutely loves it. I just let Alexis join the class in May, but she loves it too. She says that next year she wants to do gymnastics instead of dance.

Zack was up first. Here he is doing his handstand.

Now flipping on the bar. Ms. Marsha is here helping him. She was their coach this year and she is just wonderful with the kids.
The rolling thing is cool. I love these two pictures:)

Alexis' turn on the bar.

Balancing and jumping on the balance beam.

A little bit higher balance beam. She is being so careful.

Zacks' big wave to the crowd.

And the highlight of the show. TROPHIES:)

Gone Fishing

2009-06-12T23:28:00.010-04:00

This past Sunday, with their Hannah Montanna and Star Wars fishing poles in hand, the kids and Wink set out on their quest to Gwynns Island in Gloucester to go fishing on Uncle Timmy's boat.

Here is Timmy getting them all set up.

Alexis looking back as if to check on Zack:)

Zack was the first one to catch a fish. And with a little help, he reeled it in.

Zack and Timmy showing off Zacks fish. Not sure which one this is, but Zack caught a Croaker and a Blue fish.

You can see Alexis' poll bent in this shot. She got one!!

Now showing off Alexis' fish. A little smaller, but she still got one.

And on the way home...Silence!!!

Zack too:)

Thank you Uncle Timmy and Elaine for having them on your sail boat. The kids had a BLAST and they have not stopped talking about it. Zack told me all about the fish he caught and what kind they were and how Timmy stuck his finger the fish's mouth and it only had small teeth. Alexis told me something about a crab that was stuck somewhere and how you got it with the net and showed them its belly.

The Graduate

2009-06-08T22:30:00.012-04:00

During the EOY program last week every 4 year old that will be going to kindergarten next year was recognized for completing Preschool.

Here is Alexis all dressed and waiting for her turn to walk across the stage.

Finally, it was her turn.

I saw her waiting against the wall and thought to myself that surely they would fix her cap before she started walking. Not a chance!! I thought for sure she would have fallen while walking up the steps.

Here is her teacher pushing down her cap after she received her certificate.

Trying to get the two of them together for a nice photo after the program. It just wasnt going to happen.

Showing off the flowers she got from Grandma:)

And now her certificate. She was so proud of herself. She wouldnt even take her cap and gown off until she got home that night.

As I sat down last Thursday night and looked at the above pictures I couldnt help but remember her first day of school. I really think she had no clue as to what was going on that morning. I got her all dressed up in her new dress and drove to school. As we sat in the drive-thru line at school I wondered how she would do. It was the first time she was going to be away from mom and dad at a place other than Grandmas. Then finally it was our turn. A stranger came and opened her door and took her from her car seat. She immediately started crying. I told her Grandma would be back in a little while to get her and they shut door and I drove off. I was balling my eyes out before I even got out of the parking lot. She cried for about a week or two and then she was fine. And now, three years later, that little girl has closed another door in my life. She will now be a Kindergartener:)

And one final picture to take you back to that September day in 2006:)

African Safari

2009-06-06T23:27:00.010-04:00

Thursday night the kids had their EOY program at school. This years' theme was an African Safari. Last summer a group from the church went to Africa for missions and they wanted to pay tribute to that group and also those that would also be returning to Africa this summer. It was a very cute program. Each class performed a song and then the kids received their certificates. Zack was first. His class wore animal hats that were really cute.

This is my little Zebra:)

Zack receiving his certificate and goodie bag from his teacher. (She was one of the adults that traveled with the group to Africa last year)

I just love that dimple:) He was so happy!!

This hat was huge. We had to take it off because he kept hitting the people in front of us in the back of the head with it.

Up next, my little safari girl. She looked so precious.

She sang her little heart out. And I was surprised she knew almost the whole song. "Thy Word" is a very long song.

Alexis graduated that night from Preschool so I will post her pictures next time. Stay tuned!!

Blue Bird Gap Farm

2009-06-03T22:21:00.008-04:00

Time has flown by over the last couple weeks as a lot of things have been going on. Several weeks ago Wink took the kids on their final field trip of the school year. They went to Blue Bird Gap Farm. Yes, it is hard to believe this place is still around. Here are a few pictures from their trip. This is the white peacock that Zack said jumped on top of the bathroom.

Zack was so excited he got to pet a deer. I am surprised he didnt want to shoot it:)

And the highlight of the trip...playing on the playground!!

Alexis' 2nd Show of the Year

2009-05-17T22:19:00.007-04:00

Saturday Alexis participated in her 2nd dance show of the year. It was the Hampton Fun Day. Her class did "Nursery Rhyme Blues." It is really cute number that goes through a couple famous nursery rhymes in a real jazzy fashion. There are 12 girls in her class, but only three showed up on Saturday. They still did great and I would say they were the hit of the show. As soon as I can figure out how to compress the 2 minute video Wink did on my point and shoot digital camera I will post it. For now, you will have to settle for still pictures:)

This is really cute part of the song. It reminds me of an Elvis move. They are waving their arm around in a circle.

And the big finale.

And the reason you see a guy in a car in the background is because he was the mc of event. He was going to play all of the music through a laptop and speakers, but TWO laptops later there still was no music. So he pulled his car up and stuck the microphone by one of the speakers. Real cheesy, but it worked!!

The Bug Catcher

2009-05-16T22:53:00.006-04:00

Have you seen the toys that come in the Chicfila kids meals lately? Well, if not, they are featuring toys that kids can use in the yard. Things like a monocular, shovel and a bug cup. This could not be more fitting for the kids right now. One child in particular loves to hunt for rolly polly's and worms, but screams at the sight of a fly or any bug that flies for that matter. This child could spend hours digging in the dirt and when he/she got the shovel from Chicfila immediately wanted to go home and make mud pies.

So who is this child?? None other than:

Alexis, OF COURSE!!! This was her first jar of BUGS. And she picked up each and every one of them and put them in the jar.

This is Wink and the kids looking for more bugs.

Did you notice who was digging in the dirt??!! She wasn't real impressed with what she found in this old tree. An ugly worm. (it is the white thing in the picture)

New Toys

2009-05-04T22:53:00.006-04:00

The last couple of weeks have been busy with getting things ready for the summer and buying a new toy for the kids. First of all, our pool finally arrived at our local Walmart and we picked it up a couple of weeks ago. We were waiting for all of the pollen to fall from the trees before actually setting it up and now that it has, it will not stop raining. Secondly, about three weeks ago I received a text from Wink while I was at work that their was something on Craigslist for sale that I needed to check out for the kids. So I did and by 8:00 pm that night we were the new owners of a...for the kids.

And for those of you that have Facebook you already know about this new toy and those that dont, well maybe you just need to sign up for Facebook to find out:)

Just kidding. We bought a 50cc gas powered 4 wheeler for the kids. And after a brief meltdown for the simple fact that there was only one, the kids were eager to check it out. They had to wait several days before we were able to find full face helmets for them and then they were finally able to ride. Zack went first. He was very cautious and slow while he figured things out. Alexis went slow for about one lap around the back yard, then she was wide open. And before anyone freaks out about a 3 and 4 year old riding on a 4 wheeler let me tell you about the best part. There is actually a remote control switch gives Wink or I the ability to kill it completely if they start to go out of control. And trust me, it does work:)

It didnt take Zack long to figure it out and he definitely does not like to have to share with Alexis. One night they were outside and he decided that he didnt want to ride it anymore, but he was also not going to let Alexis ride either. So he drove it into our garage and parked it sideways knowing that Alexis would not be able to get it out of the garage by herself. Thankfully she doesnt put up to much of a fight and is still satisfied with her Mustang. Here are a few pics from their first night riding it.

My Best Friend

2009-04-30T23:11:00.009-04:00

This past Sunday I had the opportunity to do my first photo shoot. The willing participants...my best friend Magen and her husband Jimmy. I had a blast. Jimmy was constantly cracking jokes so at times it was hard to focus, but I really enjoyed it. Magen is now 31 weeks pregnant and despite a few complications she is hanging on and handling the pregnancy like a trooper. Her are a few of my favorite pictures. Believe it or not these first ones are taken at a small park behind a local hospital. And ironically the hospital where the baby will be born.

This was the coolest tree ever.

For the locals, this tree is out by Lions Bridge. I mainly wanted to see if Jimmy could still climb a tree. He didnt even know I took this picture. But the pictures turned out pretty cool.

Great belly shot:) And this last one is from their 4D Ultrasound about a month ago. It was really cool. Thanks guys for letting me share this time with you. I can't wait til Alyssa gets her first photo shoot:)

Kings Dominion (part 2)

2009-04-21T22:53:00.012-04:00

Let's revisit our trip to Kings Dominion again. So, we got lost on the way. I made sure I checked the time they opened, all of the height restrictions and everything else, but forgot to review the directions. I did not follow the 95 DC exit and ended up near Broad Street in Richmond. Oh well, we made it. And our friends and neighbors that saved us that day have promised to let me use their Garmin when I go back up to that area in May.

As soon as we walked into the park there stood the kids Idol...Spongebob.

Wink said, Ok we can leave now:) Next, we made sure to get the kids measured so they could get wristbands that would determine what rides they could go on. Alexis was not a problem. She was obviously in a particular color. Zack was a different story. They guy measured him over and over again and finally determined that he would not be able to give him the 40" armband. He suggested we have one of the rides measure him again. And so we did, and he got his 40" armband like we had hoped. There is a whole other set of rides that having that armband can get you on, but more on that in a little bit:)

And so both kids got to ride on these cars that they could drive around in an area that was set up like a small city. It had lanes, stoplights, stop signs and everything. They really liked them.

And we continued to ride more kiddie rides and then the kids saw one of their other favorite cartoon characters...Scooby Doo.

After lunch we made it to the one ride that I wanted to go on since everyone was tall enough this year...

But a certain little girl did not want to go on it, so the boys rode by themselves. For those of you not familar, The Avalanche is the bobsled ride at KD. It basically goes up a hill and uses momentum to pull a train of cars down and around much like a real bobsled would. And the boys dont just ride the bobsled, they ride it in...

YES, the front row. You can see them below as they are going around one of the turns. I had no idea how Zack was going to react when he got off but he LOVED it!!

And this last picture is the reason it is so hard for me to get a decent shot of the two of them together. I hope you enjoyed:)

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T22:42:00.012-04:00

Today started very unusually for the kids. First, they both slept until 8:30. Second, they got up like it was any other day. Third, it took them about 15-20 minutes to even ask if the Easter Bunny came and another 5 minutes before they decided to go look for their baskets. Once he got up Zack took off through the house looking for the baskets. It was funny how he knew exactly which one was his and which one was Alexis'.

But wait, there are 4 baskets. Alexis in all her excitement yells, Look Mommy the Easter Bunny brought you and Daddy a basket too. And so the kids go through their baskets talking about how much they like this and that. When all of a sudden I hear Alexis say, But I didnt get what I really wanted, in her very sad pathetic voice. I handed them the other two baskets, cut off the tops and let them dig in knowing that these baskets held exactly what Alexis wanted from the Easter Bunny. And oh was she sooo excited when she saw what was buried in the basket. The second set baskets was a Nintendo DS for each of them:) The squeels and chatter alone was well worth the wait.

Stay tuned for Easter Egg coloring and the HUNT!!

Kings Dominion (part 1)

2009-04-05T23:27:00.003-04:00

We had a rough start getting to Kings Dominion today, but once we were there we had a lot of fun. (I got a little lost) I will post more pictures later of the kids, but these two are my favorite. They are so sweet:) (when they want to be)

Easter Egg Hunt

2009-04-01T22:42:00.006-04:00

Today I got the chance to visit the kids at school during their Easter Egg Hunts. Both classes had a lot of fun. Alexis' class hid their eggs in the field and it took the kids a little bit to find all of the eggs. (and as I am going through the pictures from the day I just realized that I did not get a single picture of Alexis by herself) So here is a group shot of her class.

And a nice back shot of Alexis. (she is in the middle) I guess I was on the wrong side of the field for most of these pictures:)

Zack's class had their egg hunt on the playground. One would think that having that many eggs to hide on all sorts of playground equipment it would take a while to find them all. NOT!! They were done in less than 5 minutes. It was crazy. So here is my little bunny:)

And his class shot.

Deal or No Deal

2009-03-29T22:38:00.008-04:00

As many of you know we have been struggling with Zack and the whole potty training thing. It has been one excuse after another from him. His latest was that he wanted his own small potty to use. So Saturday we went to Target to pick out a potty. I could tell as he was looking at them it was just going to be more excuses as to why NOT to buy one, until I found one that looked like a frog. He was excited about it so we took Froggy home. Now time to add a little incentive. I told Zack that if he peed in Froggy ONE time we would go to Busch Gardens Sunday. I asked him if we had a deal...and he said deal and we shook hands on it. I will spare you all the details...but we had SUCCESS!!!

And so as promised...we went to Busch today:

Not sure why these lines are in the pictures, but you get the idea. I just stuck the card in my digital frame and the pictures were fine.

Looking Back, Again

2009-03-26T23:04:00.007-04:00

I was looking through my pictures tonight trying to find something to blog when I realized that I have not posted any pictures from the kids birthday party last year.

For the last two years we have held the kids parties together usually picking a weekend somewhere in the middle of Sept. 27 and October 27th. This past year we held the party in our backyard. I figured it would be easy and prayed the weather would be nice. At least half came true:) The party was originally on Saturday, but by Thursday I had called everyone and changed it to Sunday. Saturday turned out to be cold and it rained ALL day long. Luckily Sunday was a little warmer and sunny. It was a perfect day.

The kids had a blast and there were a lot of friends and family on hand. The theme was Princess and Lightning McQueen. For two years in a row we have had Lightning McQueen. The year before Alexis had it, and this past year was Zack.

So what you might ask did the kids get for their birthday??? Well of course lots of cool toys, but their big presents...

Yes, POWERWHEELS!!!

I never had anything like this growing up. They are just a little spoiled...maybe:)

All is Quiet

2009-03-23T22:39:00.003-04:00

I know, it's hard to believe but all has been relatively quiet in our house the last couple of weeks. The kids really have not had a lot going on and we havent gone anywhere. We finally had our new stove and fridge delivered last weekend. I am very happy with it. Several weeks ago I was able to attend a 3-D ultrasound with my best friend. It was the most exciting thing for me. I didnt have an ultrasound like that for either of my kids. She is expecting a little girl on June 30th and we are thrilled to death for them. On the 8th the kids and I went to Rocky Mount to visit my aunt, uncle, cousin and his wife. We had a wonderful visit. The weather was great and the kids enjoyed playing ball in the yard with my cousin and his wife while I got to talk with my aunt and uncle. Not to mention, the barbeque was AWESOME. I brought back 4 pints!!!

Wink and I visited a new school this past Thursday for the kids. Alexis is currently in a PK-4 year old class and she will not be 5 until October. This puts her past the deadline of Sept 30th for kindergarten in public school. So, we either hold her back and both kids enter K next year, or we find a kindergarten that takes October babies. And so, we found Gloria Dei School. It is a division of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in the Fox Hill section of Hampton. Wink and I were both impressed with the school the minute we got there. The kids will be able to experience so much from the school and their curriculum. Zack will have a Chef Combo nutrition class alternating with a computer class each week. Alexis will have a computer class weekly. Both kids will have PE, science, social studies, and music throughout the week. Alexis' will be expanding on her letters using the same books that I used when I used to work at Holloman's. I was pleased with that. Glad to see that they would have a formal "textbook" versus random scanned sheets from whatever sources available. And the best thing, at least from the kids perspective, they get to ride a YELLOW BUS to school. The bus will come to Poquoson and pick the kids up in the morning, then return them to Grandma's house after school. My first impression is that Alexis will do fine. She is excited about going to a new school and shouldn't have any problems meeting new friends. Zack seems a little apprehensive about the whole thing. I worry about him the most, but I think he will be ok.

SNOW DAY

2009-03-02T23:24:00.009-05:00

Need I say more!!! We finally had a snow day today. The kids had a blast. Zack had a bigger reaction to the snow this morning than I think he had Christmas day. I had to listen to him chatter away for an hour and a half while we waited for Alexis to wake up. I finally told him to go and wake her up. He runs in their room saying, "Sissy Wake Up its snowing"...and she tells him to give her a minute. Poor thing came back sad. Finally we got her up and motivated and out the door for some fun. The kids were all over the yard. I hope you enjoy the pics:)

I turned my back for a minute and when I turned back around they were on the trampoline. It was funny watching them try to jump.

Even Titan joined in the fun:)
I think they ate half of the snow in the yard. The other half was tracked into the house by way of every thread of clothes they had on.

Alexis went down the slide and I guess the pants she had on were extra slick and she just kept going right off the edge.

Shining Star

2009-02-28T23:16:00.005-05:00

Alexis performed in her first show of the year today. Her dance studio participated in the Day of Dance at Thomas Nelson Community College. She did a great job. I have posted a clip of the song her class performed. I have been so used to using my DSLR that when it came to recording a video on my old digital camera I didnt get the record button down all the way at the start of the song, but I did manage to catch the end of it. Alexis is the third from the right. She has on a black and leopard leotard.

Before and After

2009-02-23T23:06:00.004-05:00

BEFORE:

AND AFTER:

I swear he did this on his own!!! This box is basically a 14 x 14 perfect square. He was able to squeeze in it and shut the door. It was funny. Even better was Alexis trying to find him.

Beautiful Weather

2009-02-08T22:20:00.006-05:00

For the past two weekends the weather has been great. After lunch last Sunday I decided to get the kids out and let them run off some energy. What better way to run them ragged then let them jump on the trampoline. Oh, I have mentioned they got a trampoline for Christmas? Yes, that was one of their big presents this year. I tell you, our backyard is becoming a paradise for kids. This summer will be great. So anyway...I brought the camera out to take some pictures of them on the trampoline and this is what I got.

Did you see the biggest kid of all in the above picture?? Yes, that is Wink in the middle. I was on it a little before this sweeping it off and the kids were jumping around me. I started to feel dizzy. (that never happened when I was younger)

Gotta love static electricity!!!

Zacks Recital

2009-02-08T22:05:00.003-05:00

In September we enrolled Zack in gymnastics. He LOVES it. He calls it his "recital." He loves to flip, roll, run and everything else that Ms. Marsha is teaching the kids. So this past Monday I decided to try and take pictures of him at class. I took about 20 pictures and this was the best one. That is what happens when you have a camera smarter than you are!!! (no one mentioned that with a DSLR you have to use a tripod for action or sport shots) Thanks Nicole for straighting that one out:) Some times I miss the good old point and shoot days of past. I will have to try again another week.

Beauty School Dropout

2009-01-31T23:17:00.008-05:00

Last April Alexis decided that she would try being a beautician. So TWICE in a ONE week period she cut her hair. The first time was not so bad. It was repairable.

Her hair before:

Her hair after the first cut (she basically cut a piece underneath one side so we took up the sides and back a little to blend it). Not to bad!!:

The second time she butchered one of the sides. She was ticked that I took this picture of what she did. As punishment, I made our hair dresser cut it short:) I know mean momma:) A little secret...she hasnt touched it since!!!

And her hair after the final cut:

Oh, and did I mention that she cut Zacks hair too the second time. Poor Zack:

And so everybody told me that every child does this and it would grow back. The worst part of it, she did it like TWO weeks before pictures. Needless to say I did not buy their spring pictures. They were horrible!!!

Looking Back

2009-01-24T23:08:00.004-05:00

The best thing happened to me over the Christmas Break. One day I decided to clean out two baskets on my counter that were full of junk. I cleaned the big one pretty quickly throwing out a lot of stuff then moved on to the little one. My goal was to eliminate the little one altogether. I got out most of the big stuff when I came across a gift card. When I turned it over it was a Chili's gift card that got lost during the summer some time. So I continue to dig when I noticed a digital camera card turned upside down in the basket. I thought to myself what card could this be and I figured it was the one my neighbor let me borrow when I lost mine. When I turned it over I realized it was not her card it was MINE!! My eyes filled up with tears. (In May I had taken the card to work to change the background on my computer and had left early that day because I was sick. I was out for two days and when I got back to work I thought the card was lost. We had some contractors working in our room and I figured someone must have picked it up off my desk and it was gone forever. This was the card that came with my camera and in 2 months it had over 700 pictures on it. I was devestated. There were many "firsts" on that card. I finally got over it, considered it gone, lesson learned and moved on.) I had searched those baskets many times looking for that card.

So with all that being said I am going to post a couple of my favorite shots from that memory card. The first couple are from Mother's Day last year. We took the kids to the Norfolk Zoo. It was a cool, cloudy and sometime drizzly day, but the kids enjoyed it.

I was taking this picture and trying to watch the peacock at the same time. It was getting a little to close for my comfort. These were my favorite of the day. (Zack didnt want anything to do with this turtle)
And of course I had to get in on the action. (I will spare you the pics Wink took as I tried to climb up on this thing.)

Nothing

2009-01-20T22:56:00.002-05:00

At 3:15 last night or technically this morning I woke up and peeked out the window...NOTHING. At 5:35 when Winks alarm went off I peeked out the window again...STILL NOTHING. I turned on the news and all of the Southside was closed and even Hampton and Newport News Schools were closed. (but I am a 12 month employee so I had to work) I thought it was crazy but I went to work anyway. It was not until about 9:15 this morning that I realized the storm was late and due to hit our area in a couple of hours. So I waited...NOTHING!!! It is now 11:00 pm and not even a dusting of snow. I was so disappointed. My neighbor text me earlier today and asked me what kind of snow dance I did; apparently the wrong one!!! Maybe next time.

My dad called me tonight and he had 3 inches in Western North Carolina, Raleigh had 7 inches and Rocky Mount had 5-6 inches. Thanks for hogging all the snow guys!! You could have shared some with us. I hope everyone is ok at least.

Snow Dance

2009-01-19T22:27:00.002-05:00

This really is not going to be a big post tonight, but I wanted to say we are doing the "snow dance" here. I am watching the news and we will be getting SOMETHING tomorrow, but not exactly how much. I am getting ready just in case. Already prepared to call in!! No point in risking the kids going to Poquoson when we can stay home and play:) Tonight after Zacks gymnastics class he and I went to Target to pick up a few things. I found him a new winter jacket and Alexis a pair of pants that would be good for snow. On the way home he said that he wanted to get a big snowball and throw it at sissy and he wanted me to be on his side and get her. It was funny!!! I will be sure to post pictures if we get to stay home and play!!!

MeMe

2009-01-14T22:35:00.005-05:00

Last year on one of our trips down to North Carolina to see my family my aunt gave both kids small stuffed animals that were wearing NC State shirts. I believe that one of them was a bear or something like that and has long since gone missing, but the other was a stuffed monkey. A few months ago Zack found this stuffed monkey and started becoming attached to it. Well a short time later the monkey had a name...MeMe. Now MeMe has become an important member of the family. So, here is Zack with MeMe. (sorry Dad I know he has on the wrong shirt for your liking but Zack doesnt know any better yet)

And not to feel left out this is Alexis with Bear. Yes, this is the same white (or he was at one time) Bear that Alexis has had for years. We really are not sure how long Bear has been around, but we guess at least 2-3 years. And yes, Bear is his name. I know...real original, but thats Alexis for you.

My First Child

2009-01-08T22:39:00.008-05:00

So I know that this site is supposed to be about Alexis and Zack but at the request of family I am going to take a minute to show my first child. A few weeks ago I was talking to my family about how big Titan is compared to the kids. They asked if I could get a picture of Titan and the kids. Well this was the best I could get. Trying to get 3 to cooperate was not an easy task.

It is hard to believe that he is a little over 6 years old now. He still has his same puppy dog face despite getting older and bigger. I think his head might be the same size as when he was a puppy too:)

Presents

2009-01-01T23:34:00.018-05:00

Here are the shots of the kids opening their presents. There were some hits and some misses with presents this year. That night Zack said he didnt like any of his presents but has since enjoyed playing with all of them. Or at least almost all of them.

So while looking at the pictures see if you can spot the common denominator in each picture. (and no it is not the kids)

Yes, that was Titan in the background of each of the above pictures. And not only is he in the pictures but I think he was bitting or scratching at every part of his body the whole time. Anyone know of stuff that helps with dry skin on dogs??

So this is the blue collar version of the American Girl dolls. I saw these at Target and they are actually really cute. They had one that was a ballerina and I thought Alexis would like her but she was gone when Wink went to get it. Instead he got this one that is named Alexis. She thought that was funny.

So Zack has been begging for these Batman wings since around his birthday. What a flop!!! He put them on and they were off two seconds later. To heavy he said. I am just glad I didnt pay full price for them.

This is "Fluffy" as he has been named by Alexis. The story behind this is that the kids begged me for a cat when we were at PetSmart one day so I told my mom to get both kids one of these for Christmas. Alexis has taken this cat EVERYWHERE with her. It is really funny. The cat purrs, meows, and even hisses if you step on its tail. Check it out on YouTube if you get the chance. It is the FurReal friends Kitty Cat. Zack is still warming up to his cat.

Alexis was helping Alex check out his new truck.

This is Zack, Alex (my brothers son) and Alexis playing with toys during the afternoon.

Fake or Real (Part 2)

2009-01-01T23:20:00.002-05:00

So Wink took the kids with him yesterday while he ran a few errands. One of their stops was a car repair shop to get Winks car inspected. And from what Wink told me there is a guy that works there that has a long white beard and a big belly. And leave it to Alexis to ask him if he was Santa Claus. So playing along with it the guy tells her yes and that the reindeer are at his house. Then Alexis asks if he is the fake Santa or the real. The guy tells her that he is the real Santa because how else would he know that she got makeup for Christmas. Once again, she was speechless:) Of course she did not realize that only a few minutes before that she told another person that she got makeup for Christmas:)

PS - This week reminds me why I am NOT a stay at home mom. Working in the school system I have often envied the 10 and 11 month employees for the time off they get during the summer. WOW, I can not wait until Monday:)

Christmas Eve

2008-12-28T23:33:00.012-05:00

The loot.

This picture doesn't really show their gifts very well, but I like the way the tree is kinda highlighted and the presents are in a shadow.

This was "Beckys" present.

So I was trying to take a picture of the Christmas tree using the "mirror" on the princess vanity. This was a lot harder than it looks. Not bad considering it is not even a real mirror. (keep in mind 95% of my pictures are straight out of the camera)

Zacks' workbench.

Fake or Real

2008-12-21T22:51:00.003-05:00

It has been a while since I last posted so I will try to bring everyone up to speed. It is just that busy time of year!!! We have had birthdays and school programs on top of the normal hussle and bussle of the year. I will post some pictures from their school program later.

On to the story from today. The kids and I were coming home from Target (yes it is 5 days before Christmas and I am still shopping) and what did we see!!!! Santa and Mrs. Claus driving down the road!!! I kept pace with them for a few minutes so the kids could see them and they were kind enough to wave to the kids. The kids loved it. AND THEN...the questions started. Zack wants to know where they were going and why. His typical questions. Alexis on the other hand asks the deeper questions. It starts with, Are they going to the North Pole. Well not really I say. So she is content for a few just talking to Zack when out of no where she asks, Was that the fake Santa and Mrs. Claus or the real one? At this point I am telling myself she is only four so how do I explain this one. Well with out even taking a glance at her I simply say, "They had on costumes." For once, she was speechless. Thank God!!

HollyDazzle

2008-12-08T22:49:00.007-05:00

So Friday night Wink and I went to City Center here in Newport News for their annual HollyDazzle. It is basically a kick off to the holiday season that ends in an AWESOME fireworks display and the lighting of the Christmas tree. If you live in the area and can stand the cold, I strongly encourage you to check this out next year. This is the third year that Wink and I have gone, and the second for the kids. All three years it has been extremely cold, but well worth it. This puts any 4th of July show in the area to shame. Wink and I are already talking about doing it the "smart" way next year. There is a Marriott that is on one side of the lake that has rooms facing the lake and the show. It sure would be nice to be in a nice warm room instead of freezing.

Here is Zack, Cole and Alexis waiting for the fireworks to start. As you can see we were right up against the fence so it was a perfect view of the show. The kids did great. There was even a spot right in front of us where some of the fireworks were shot.

So my camera really does not do the fireworks justice, but this was during the finale. Imagine fireworks going off from all directions along with spotlights; all the to beat of Christmas music.

After the fireworks they light a huge Christmas tree that stays lit until after the New Year. This is Alexis and Cole posing with the tree behind them.

This is another shot of the tree as it fades between different colors. I think Alexis summed up the night the best when she said, "This is the best Christmas ever!!" If she thought that was great, wait til she sees what Santa has instore for them:)

The Yearly Checkup

2008-12-08T22:42:00.004-05:00

I finally got the kids to the doctor last Monday for their annual check-up. Chunky Monkey as I affectionately call Alexis, weighed in at a whopping 42 pounds and measured 42 inches. As the nurse put it, she is perfectly square!! Skinny Minny is what I call Zack weighed a whole 32 pounds and was 38 inches tall. He was in the 90 percentile for his height and 50 percentile for his weight. Which means his weight is average for his age and he is taller than most other 3 year olds. I already knew that:) Alexis was not very happy by the time we left. She had to have FIVE shots, while Zack just needed his flu shot. Either way they are both doing well and very healthy.

A Little White Lie

2008-11-30T22:43:00.002-05:00

I told this story at lunch today with my family and they thought it was the funniest thing so I thought I would share it with everyone. A few weeks ago I bought a Disney Princess vanity from a friend of mine for Alexis for Christmas. The box is the Princess pink and very large. I had left it in the back of the truck and just pulled the cover over the back so it was out of sight. Well that night I went to pick the kids up and as Alexis was getting into the truck she spotted the pink box. Apparently it had slid up just enough to be able to see the color of the box. (Now mind you there is about a 6 inch gap between the back of the seat and where the shade starts) So I rushed them into their seats and dismissed any questions about the box. When we got home and the kids were inside, Alexis asked about her toy. I played dumb!! "What toy?" I asked. She says, "The Princess toy in the back of your truck." And then the lie starts!! I told her thats not for you Alexis. She cries for a second and says who is it for. I thought to myself, what now!! I told her it was for someone I worked with that had a little girl. I said the girls' mommy and daddy didnt have a lot of money and she wasnt going to have any presents at Christmas. Alexis listened closely the whole time, and when I was done she asks, "Whats her name?" What, you have to be kidding me!!! Now what!! Uhh, her name is Becky. It was the first name that came to my mind. So, for about a week after that night Alexis asked if I had given the toy to Becky. I kept dismissing her and telling her I was going to do it the next day or the next week. I have since taken the pink box out of the back of the truck and have it safely tucked away in the house:)

Thanksgiving Day

2008-11-28T22:02:00.003-05:00

So when we got home last night I decided to ask the kids what they were thankful for being Thanksgving and all. I asked Alexis what she was thankful for first and she said her Mommy:) AWWW!!! How sweet! Then I asked Zack. In the most serious face he said, NM-NM's. And in his talk, that means M&M's. At least I got the answer I hoped for from one of them:)

Little Mr. or Ms. Fix It

2008-11-25T22:35:00.004-05:00

During the summer we spent almost every evening outside playing. One of the kids was always wanting to be in the garage with daddy. He/she would have to have his/her own tools and their own special project to work on.

So can you guess which kid?

See below:)

So did you guess right?

Here she is working on her "project." Trying to get daddys' black car running!!

Here she is fixin' Zacks bike.

Dress Up

2008-11-25T22:29:00.002-05:00

They love to play dress up. You will see one of these costumes again:)

First Day of School

2008-11-25T22:14:00.006-05:00

It is hard to believe I made it to the first day of school. They are growing up.

It is near about impossible to get a good picture of both kids at the same time. These two pictures are proof of that.

We Created a Monster (or Two)

2008-11-24T23:10:00.010-05:00

In July some friends of ours turned us on to a wonderful, yet addicting, website known as http://www.modfiedpowerwheels.com/. I quickly learned why men want kids:) The recipe: 1 - 6volt Power Wheels Go Cart, 2 - 12 volt batteries, and 1 - BRAVE little boy. The result:

One Happy Little Boy

I will say that Zack took the go cart naturally. But once we gave him speed he only wanted more. So Wink kept working at it, and cleaned up the go carts appearance and made some more modifications and the end result was a brand new, FAST, go cart.

And then came the second Not so Smart Idea of the summer. The recipe: 1 - very old Jeep Power Wheels, 2 - 12 volt batteries, and a very RECKLESS little girl. The result:

A Jeep Missing a few of Its Modifications:)

Alexis was dangerous when she was first learning to drive the Jeep.

I will come back to the adventures of the Modified Power Wheels at a later time, but for now I will leave you with what has to be my favorite picture from the summer.

It looks like FEAR in Zacks eyes. And the funny thing it is not of the speed:) Zack actually thought Titan was after him. And needless to say, Titan HATES the power wheels.

More Pics from the Summer

2008-11-24T22:40:00.006-05:00

Ok, so I know I am bouncing around a bit, but as I think of things I am trying to record them. Here are a few more of my favorite pictures from the summer.

The first is a picture of my whole (almost whole) family on Fathers Day. Wink was kind enough to help me host my family at our house for Fathers Day this year. I am so glad we did. It was the last family gathering with my Grandfather. As most of you know, my Grandfather went to be with the Lord in August. He now watches over us from the sky:)

The next is from one of our many trips to Busch Gardens over the summer. It shows one of my not so smart ideas:)

I tried to keep the kids busy over the summer. One Sunday we went to the VA Living Museum to see the dinosaur display. It was ok. I thought this picture was cute.

Grocery Cart Speakers

2008-11-20T22:31:00.003-05:00

So my family is always commenting on how well behaved the kids are in public. They always want to know if they ever act up. Well this by no means is a story of them being BAD, but just not their normal quiet selves.

I took them to Walmart this past Sunday by myself while Wink was working. I figured if we went around lunch I could get them each a cup of Popcorn Chicken and that would keep them busy while I picked up a few things. Things didnt work out that way!!! The two of them were sitting in the grocery cart eating their chicken and icees when they must of gotten bored. So its starts with them basically stabbing at each other with their plastic forks. Then it turns to the "He said, she said" game. Next it is the outright giggles and once they start giggling it is hard to get them to stop. Oh, and dont forget the attempt at the quiet game. And I must add that it was Zack that failed miserably!!! I felt like a broken record. Alexis stop, Zack be quiet. Stop hitting, sit still, etc. Finally, as we are approaching the cashiers Alexis breaks out into a song. A man walks by and says to me, "I didnt know the carts came with speakers!!!" I could have died right then and there. And Alexis was just laughed and smiled.

So to my family...here you go. I know it is not the typical screamin child, but for my kids it was definitely unusual.

More Summer Pics

2008-11-07T23:28:00.005-05:00

Zack in our pool. The pool was a big hit this summer. It is so easy to walk out the back door and straight into the pool.

The Summer in Review

2008-09-23T22:44:00.016-04:00

Alexis back stage during her first dance recital. This was her tap costume. The girls in her class did great. She was the loudest singer of them all!!

The kids first time on a slip and slide. They had a blast.

This will be the one I blow up on her wedding day:) She is going to be so mad at me one day, but it will be worth it.

I actually started this blog last September. Opps!!! Did not do a good job keeping it up so...here I go again. I am going to start with a few of my favorite pictures from the summer.

Memorial Day Yorktown Beach

This is one of my favorites of Alexis.

Wink was pratically throwing them down the slide.