Just plain adorable....

Elizabeth is so darn cute, and Josephine hovered over her like she was a big sister!  It was adorable.  Caty held her too, and I caught the two of them in a cute picture.  Elizabeth is Ms. Big Eyes now - they change so quickly at this age.  How can Josephine look so big next to Elizabeth?  She is no longer the baby....

Serious Bingo Game

We had some serious games of Bingo after our Thanksgiving meal.  It was so cute to see my Mom (Grandma) with all the kids playing Bingo!  They were playing for big bucks - a whole nickel!  I love it since it came out of my change!

Taking pictures just because she is so darn cute!

My cutie hanging with her mommy one day.  We hung out all Wednesday morning (I took the day off to prepare for Thanksgiving), but instead Josephine & I played at the park.  It was worth it - I was really not that motivated to clean the house, set tables, cook, etc.  Somehow it would all get done!  I so rarely get time with Jo, and we had a wonderful 4 hours together until the big kids got out of school. 

A Chorus Line

Last weekend, we saw Carly Beard in "A Chorus Line" at a local theatre.  It was amazing!!  Carly is so talented - it's incredible that she is only in 8th grade.  She is so mature.  Rosie & I took Simone, one of her good friends, and Simone's grandmother.  Simone is a theatre girl & is in the Muny Kids and many other plays, so I thought she would enjoy seeing it with us.  It was a bit adult, but I think it went over their heads.  Rosie & I chatted about some of the more adult topics in the show, and she said "I just ignored them & focused on the costumes & the singing & dancing." We can't wait for the next play or musical with Carly Beard - it's a good reason to stay connected with the arts!

4th Grade Soccer

The St. Mary Magdalen 4th Grade Girl's Soccer Team with Coach Carollo, Coach Rohr (the policeman) and Coach Gombas.  They had good games & tough games, but they always battled on & learned even more this year.  We have a tournament next weekend even though it could be freezing here!  Our record was 4 -2 with four games cancelled due to rain & not made up.  They had so many make-up games for the 5th - 8th that they (CYC) decided to forget about 3rd & 4th grade.  Makes no sense but what can you do?  Even Anna's grade had make-up games!!!

We were a small team so everyone played a lot! 

Soccer Update

I've been delinquent in posting about soccer, but we had so many make-up games the last two weekends due to the rain, rain, rain that postponed our games.  Anna's season was great!  Not that we kept score, but we beat every team!  We look forward to 8 on 8 next year - I think this team is going to be a force to reckon with in the coming years.  Anna is on the bottom far left.  Coach Tera & Coach Kathy rock too - the girls love them & learned so much this year.

Cardinal's New Home

I am very proud of Cardinal's new home, so I decided to post a few pictures.  We are still not happy with the front of the reception desk (red glass tiles), but they will be redoing it until they get it right!  It's hard to see in this photo, but the tile is not done well at all.  It is sloppy in my opinion & given it is the first thing you see, it must be done perfectly.  I feel like this move was all I did for a year, so it is nice to finally get back to my real work!

Below is a picture of our "gathering area" without any tables & chairs.  We all love the colors in the office given our old office was basically white walls!  Love the bamboo floor (we tried to be as "green" as possible by using various types of recycled materials).Another picture of the gathering area with our cool glass doors (you can also see our tables for this area)

Why I'm so Thankful

T = Thanksgiving - the day off to be with my family & my husband
H = Home - our warm home, may we never take for granted this basic comfort
A = Anna - my middle daughter that is so strong-willed, smart, smiley & wonderful
N = Never-ending love that Pete gives me even when life, work & kids stress us out
K = Kindness - Anna just reminded me that you must always be kind
S = Super kids that I take for granted
G = Grandparents - how lucky for my kids to grow up with four generous & giving grandparents
I = Incredible sisters & brothers & nephews & nieces
V = Valuable - family is my most valuable item in the world
I = Incredible neighbors, friends & co-workers
N = Niceness - another word from Anna that describes my friends
G = Giving - may I teach my kids to always give back to their friends, family & their community

I mostly thank the one hour that we spend at church each week remembering what is most important. Thank you Mom & Dad for giving me my faith & showing me yours every day.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Chief Little but Mighty

Josephine came home the other day from school with this adorable headress! Perfect name for her too - Little but darn Mighty! She was so proud & wore it all night at home.

Are these really my parents?

My mom & dad are hilarious!!! Here they are with some of their grandkids: Jacob (doctor), Wil (spaceman), Alison (cat) & Elizabeth (peapod). I wish we could have been there in person!

Happy Halloween!

Most of us were nursing a cold/cough, etc. last night, but we had fun walking around on a beautiful night. It was clear (& cold) but no rain! Below is my good friend, Tera, with Jo & the kids before they set out. Jo ended up handing out candy with me & then said "time to Trick or Treat." Too cute - she finally wore her angel costume for me. She got a lot of "oh, what a sweet angel!" Thanks Tera for a great night. I hope we all get better.

My cute angel playing with Tera's toys on her refrigerator. She is really into her ABC's right now.