Halloween Time!

Halloween, 2007

Cleveland, OH

Introducing:

Hannah Montanah, Obi Won Knobe, and Anni (Annikan)

Somehow, this year, we were not on the ball for getting our pumpkins. Our tradition has always been to go to a patch and cut our own. Unfortunately, in Cleveland there aren't a lot of places where you can do that. It also seems to take a lot of planning.

Needless to say, the day before Halloween (we've been really busy) we made it out. Dad was stuck at work, and was missed terribly, but we had a good time.

It was a perfect day for pumpkin hunting! The farmers market there had lots of cool stuff!
There was still a few good pumpkins left for us to choose from.

The carving is always fun. Everyone took a turn, and finally got okay with handling the goop inside!
The kids did a great job carving. They designed cut the face by themselves. It's amazing to see them doing such big kid things. We had our traditional chili dinner with friends and had a nice time.

Fast Fun!

This weekend we had a wonderful visit from my sister, Marilee and her husband, Mike. They were kind enough to squeeze us into a business trip to Boston from Arizona, and we had a fantastic time with them, even though the time was too short!

We picked them up from the airport at 8am and showed them downtown Cleveland and the lake. From there, we went to Kirtland, Ohio and enjoyed a quick tour of the historic Mormon town. The history there is amazing, and the temple is beautiful!

Then, on the road to Niagara Falls! It was a fun, fast 3 hour trip to the falls, as we visited and laughed in the car, catching up on kids, events and stories.

The day we spent at the falls was remarkable, and we made great memories. It was our second visit there, but their first. I can never get enough of the view. It is amazing!

We enjoyed a ride on Maid of the Mist, feeling the power of the falls up close. It was breathtaking!
Since our last time here, our family sure has changed. The kids have grown up so much, and I think they will remember this time so much more!
Our second day together was just as fun! The kids all played the piano for Marl, and then each put on a little show for us to enjoy! Ryan show his great Ninja techniques, and he and Sean gave us a great demo of a Saber War.

Brooke then gave a great "Hannah Montan" concert. She loves to sing, and she has learned some cute dance moves. She looked like a natural!
I sure had a great time having one of my best friends here to visit. It was fast fun!
We even got in a short walk in the forest before they left. It was beautifully green and wet, but was quickly interupted by mosquitos! But that's not all! We got to see the momma deer and her two babies. They were only about 10 feet away, watching and eating. What a treat for the desert visitors!
We sure were blessed to have Marl and Mike come! The kids all want to live with them now!
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Well, after a long time in brades (4 months and 1 week) it was time to find Brooke's beautiful hair again. We were both excited!

And after 3 long hours of picking, combing, washing and combing...
And, yes, it is back! Beautiful, long, and still very blonde!

And now, it is back to busy life for all of us. Piano for 3, soccer championships, baseball, homework, work, research, studying, church, friends...LIFE!

Summer ends, and school begins!

Hello all!

To end the summer with a bang, we went to a Waterpark in Sandusky, Ohio called Kalahari and stayed overnight. We had a blast playing in the water from morning until night.
The weather was perfect, and the slides were better! The kids had a blast on the slides, and never seemed to wear out! At 10 pm, we had to drag them out of the water, and stopping for food was a chore!
They loved the fact that we had a balcony and could see the outdoor pools from our room.
What memories we made!

We had a recent visit from Mema and grandpa, from California. We got home from our little vacation just as they drove into town from PA.

Of course, we enjoyed the sounds of duets from the piano...

and games as much as we could!

And as a special Anniversary present for Dan and Shell, dad treated us with a BBQ - everyone's favorite!

We had a great time learning to play PIG, and having long games of UNO.

And the kids just had a ball being silly and showing off!
And then...

School Begins!

Brooke and Sean are now in 4th and 2nd grade. Brooke, as you can see, is taking on the look and attitude of one in the intermediate hall, and is excited to be moving up in the world. Sean doesn't say much about school itself, but is so thrilled to be back with friends!

Ryan has been so excited to start school, he has been counting down for days. Our baby has started Kindergarten, and Shell is, well, overjoyed! He will be missed, of course, but he is soooooo ready, and so is she. He loved his first day, and as you can tell, was grinning ear to ear all day!

We sure have had a fantastic summer. We have been so busy, with so many things, and have been blessed in so many ways. More than anything, we are so grateful to be together as a family and to experience life at it fullest! We are happy, healthy and blessed! We love all of you, family and friends, and we are so thankful for the love and support from each of you every day!

Current events...a summer of fun!

Well, so much has happend lately, it has been a great year so far! The biggest event for our family has been Dan graduating from residency. He is now an Emergency Medicine Attending Physician and Ultrasound Fellow (yes, a little more training), for one year here in Cleveland, Ohio. We are excited to stay here for one more year, and he is very excited for this training. Shell is still busy with kids and church responsibilities, but trying to have some fun too!

One of the highlights of the summer was visiting the Lifeflight Helicopter, where dad spends some of his off time. The pilot was very nice, and showed us how everythings works.

Another fun event was a personal tour of the fire station. Dad's friend Dave is a fireman at the new station up the street. He let us each spray the big hose (boy was that HEAVY!),

try on the oxygen tanks,

and try breathing into the masks.

We tried on his whole uniform, climbed to the top of the station, and even had a drink in the big kitchen with the other firemen. It was so great!

We like to spend most of our summer time in the water, somewhere, anywhere!

Ryan has had a busy summer of doing new things. He played t-ball this year, lots of basket ball, learned to ride a two-wheeler, learned to swim - very well, and is getting very excited about starting Kindergarten!

Sean is a handful, and such a busy body, but has made summer very fun! He has learned to swim very well, is playing the piano great, practicing basket ball and loving baseball even more!


Brooke has been very busy with friends, piano, reading, tons of swimming and lots of helping mom. She is anxious however to get back to school where she can see her friends every day!


The fourth was fun, with city fireworks, friends, a BBQ, and our traditional sparklers and street fireworks with dad! He always loves that part of the 4th!

We also had a very fun visit from grandma and grandpa this summer.

We played glow in the dark miniature golf, games, a movie,

and a visit to the beach!

We especially loved that they were driving one of the kids favorite cars - a PT Cruiser!

Then, we enjoyed a great visit from Mema and grandpa, from California. It was quick, but lots of fun! We love to play games with them, singing and playing the piano! Such fun!


We are sad to see the summer come to an end, but excited for a new school year full of fun and learning. It will be a big year for our family, and we are excited to share it all with you! Until next time...

A Great Summer!

The summer has been so fun, and we have made so many memories. Hope you enjoy some of them with us! This is just a taste of a few fun times! Until later...