My Three Beauties

Happy Halloween

2010-11-06T20:43:00.001-05:00

I was so excited for Halloween to be on a Sunday this year. The kids didn't have to rush home from school, hurry to eat, put on their costumes and rush to start trick or treating. We were able to have a relaxing afternoon after carving our pumpkins and take our time getting ready. Ella was not feeling well after having a fever all week and a terrible cough so she decided not to trick or treat. This was not a suprise even if she was feeling her best. Ella has never been a big fan of Halloween but she did pick out the cutest costume, a bunny, that I don't even have a picture of her wearing....maybe we can save it for next year.

Emma, aka: the witch

Taylor, aka: the batarina or bat ballerina. Who really knows what this is but please remember she is "almost" 10 and this was "cool mom"!

Ella's cat pumpkin which she did clean and carve herself.

Apples & Pumpkins

2010-11-06T20:11:00.002-05:00

This fall, we took our usual apple picking trip to McQueen's Apple Orchard. As always, the girls had great fun picking apples and climbing the trees. I think climbing the trees has become more fun than apple picking the past few years. We also visited a new pumpkin farm in Napoleon this year, Leaders Family Farm. It was an unusually warm 90 degree mid October day but the girls, along with their cousins, Hope, Calla and JT had great fun painting pumpkins, petting animals at the petting zoo and taking a hay ride through the forest.

2010-11-06T20:08:00.000-05:00

Back To School!

2010-10-11T20:47:00.001-05:00

O.K. so not only do the summers fly by but so do the years. Taylor started 4th grade this fall and Emma & Ella are in 1st grade. We decided to separate Emma & Ella this year which has definitely worked out for the best. They have not been bothered by it one bit and it has given them the opportunity to really mature and develop individually. They still get to participate in many activities together and have lunch and recess together, as well. Emma is doing great and is excelling in reading and language. She is one of the few in her class that is given more challenging work. Ella....well, what can I say?! She is Ella! She does a great job when focused on her work but would much rather be socializing with her friends. Taylor is doing great in 4th grade. The teachers in 4th grade definitely make the students more responsible and accountable for getting and doing their own assignments which will better prepare them for middle school where she will go next year.

The morning gang; Ashley, Taylor Emma and Ella

2010-10-11T20:43:00.001-05:00

Emma with her 1st grade teacher; Mrs. Gracia

2010-10-11T20:41:00.001-05:00

Taylor with her 4th grade teacher; Mrs. Worline

Ella with her 1st grade teacher; Mrs. E.
a.k.a. Ms. Bryce(now married) who Taylor had in kindergarten.

Grandma B's

2010-08-20T08:36:00.001-05:00

The girls and I had soooo much fun in Illinois this year! We stayed for 2 weeks which was nice in itself. We didn't have to rush around to visit everyone and try to fit everything we wanted to do in a week. We had many "mini" vacations within our visit, too. We took an over night trip to The Lost Island Waterpark in Waterloo, IA. It was great fun and now that the girls are older they were more willing to try different things. We spent a night with Aunt Becky swimming in her pool and a night with Aunt Jane just hanging out. Lots of time with Grandma B and everyone else enjoying good food, good company and lots of fun making memories :)

2010-08-20T08:31:00.000-05:00

2010-08-20T07:33:00.000-05:00

Dance Recital

2010-06-29T21:45:00.001-05:00

This year Emma and Taylor both performed in the annual Perrysburg Performing Arts dance recital. Taylor performed 2 nights in a hip hop routine and Emma one night doing her tap performance. I am so proud of both of them. They have both taken dance for the past 9 months working toward this big night. This years dance theme was We The People with most songs based on a patriotic theme. Taylor's best friend Ashley also performed in the same hip hop dance routine. Both girls are taking a break from dance for the summer but Taylor is anxious to get back to hip hop dancing in the fall after school starts.

Happy 7th Birthday Emma & Ella

2010-06-28T22:18:00.002-05:00

Wow! My babies are 7 years old. It is so cliche to say but time truly does fly. They will be starting 1st grade this fall. They have the most unique love hate relationship with such different personalities. Emma is very talkative, outgoing, persistent, stubborn, smart little girl...just like her mommy. Ella, on the other hand, is very fun loving, carefree, lovable, shy...just like her daddy. This year, the girls celebrated their birthday with dinner out at Max & Erma's followed by watching the movie Marmaduke. They got power motor scooters from Nana and roller blades from us. Watch out...they are both hell on wheels! Their birthday party was very different this year. Instead of a big at home blow out, we had Heros http://www.herostoledo.com/ host the party. It is an indoor play area with inflatables, carnival games, pizza, cupcakes and much more. They do all the work right down to keeping track of what gifts came from who. All we had to do was show up with the camera, have fun and write the check. The girls had such great fun with a mix of family and friends. Thanks to you all for making their day so special.

2010-06-28T21:59:00.000-05:00

For Sale

2010-06-28T21:49:00.001-05:00

This year, Heather and I decided to open our annual garage sale on Thursday instead of Friday. It was a work in progress but it seemed to be worth it. The kids: Emma, Ella, Taylor, Ashley and Tanner had a bake sale stand with rice krispy treats, cookies, chips, bottled water and lemonade for sale with all proceeds going to help the tornado victims from the June 5th tornadoes that hit Northwest, OH. It was definitely worth their time! Many people simply made donations and $171 was raised over the 3 day sale. I am sooooo proud of them and they are already asking what they can raise money for next year.

Strawberries and tomatos

2010-06-11T21:21:00.001-05:00

OK...so I fell for an infomercial! The girls and I planted 2 topsy turvy (upside down) tomato hangers and a strawberry hanger. We have already had great success with the strawberries. The girls have picked at least 10. I did plant a variety of early, mid and late bloomers so hopefully we will get more. I planted 3 tomato plants in each hanger with different varieties, as well. They have grown so much since I took this photo and there are LOTS of blooms and few green tomatoes. The girls have had great fun in helping plant, water and watch the plants grow. We did have some help from Grandpa Sharpe to make us some sturdy wood hanging posts. They are much heavier than what I expected and my little Shepard's hook that I planned to hang them on was not going to do the job. I still need to stain the wood.

Kindergarten Patriotic Program

2010-06-11T20:58:00.001-05:00

Each year the kindergarten class performs many patriotic songs at the end of the school year which has become a parent favorite....it is sooo cute :) If you remember, Ella has EXTREME stage fright and informed me after the first day of school that she would NOT be singing on stage. Well....she stuck to her word! Emma had a blast singing her heart out while Ella video taped and sang along in the crowd.

Spring Spectacular

2010-06-07T20:09:00.002-05:00

Spring Spectacular (i think we used to call it track & field day) is a fun school day where the kids get to participate in many indoor and outdoor activities like: face painting, tattoos, junk food walk, carnival games, bounce houses, frisbee, hockey, basketball. These are just to name a few. Taylor is flying down a bounce house slide while Emma aims for the net and Ella is hanging with her friend Celestyn.

Toledo Zoo Frog Dart Dash

2010-05-18T22:13:00.001-05:00

Another year down! This is our 3rd family run in the zoo 1k fun run and we keep getting better. Our time has improved every year and the girls have great fun. I say it every year, but those of you who know me, know that I am not a runner and I consider this quite an accomplishment each time I complete it :)

Friends

2010-05-18T21:55:00.002-05:00

Emma, Ella and I got to spend a beautiful day hanging out with our friends at the zoo last week. Unfortunately, with the cRaZy kindergarten schedule our school has, Taylor misses out on some fun while she is at school and the twins have the day off.

My Little Artists

2010-05-18T21:34:00.002-05:00

Our school district has an annual art show displaying works from grades k-12. This year each of the girls had a piece selected for display. It is so fun to watch their faces light up when they see theirs hanging up. They are nicely matted with labels and are perfect for framing. I have started quite a collection in the upstairs hall.

Emma and her "Monet Lily Pads"

Ella's pinch pot

Taylor's "Matisse cut out"

Happy Easter

2010-04-13T21:02:00.001-05:00

Ready, Set, GO...the shelter house gang getting ready for their egg hunt of over 450 eggs.

Taylor found one

and Ella...found a snake. Dave actually found 2 in a row of pine trees while helping Ella hunt eggs. The attention quickly turned to the snakes instead of the eggs. Ella, Hope and their cousin Zane were the only takers on holding it. The others admired from afar....including me. Ella's expression looks VERY unsure but she held it quite a while. She said it felt "squishy".

Spring Break

2010-04-09T07:51:00.001-05:00

This year, the girls and I, spent break in Illinois visiting Grandma B. Macy, our new puppy, went with and we had no problems at all. She traveled great! I even stopped less than anticipated. She slept the whole 6 hours. The weather was great, too! We got to spend lots of time with cousins Brittany and Olivia who were also on break and of course Sisters Becky, Sue and Jane. We enjoyed our favorite eating spots, Happy Joes Pizza and Roys Taco House and went down the BIG slide at Richmond Hill. Yes, even I went down. I do have the picture to prove it but decided not to share. ;)

Grandma B. with L-R: Ella, Brittany, Taylor, Emma, Olivia, Madison & Riley

Emma with Olivia

"The Slide"

Welcome......

2010-03-21T17:21:00.001-05:00

Macy Lou Sharpe

We added a new addition to our family on Friday. Macy is a 7 week old Maltipoo (Maltese & Poodle). We got her a little earlier than thought but all will work out. We had put a deposit down with a breeder in Delta for first pick of the litter due very soon but the breeder came across our Macy who fit exactly what we were looking for. We preferred mostly white ( Macy has a little tan on her ears) and we definitely wanted a female. When breeding with a poodle, you are never sure what breed traits will dominate. You can get all colors, spots, curly to straight hair, and either Maltese or poodle features. We like the Maltese look but not all the grooming requirements and poodles are very smart and easy to train. This was definitely a mother's sacrifice. Those of you who know me, know that I am a big dog lover but the girls, mostly Taylor, has wanted a little dog for a very long time. She is no Champ dog but I must admit she is super cute and the girls just adore her. They have been very helpful in taking her out to potty. It has only been 2 days so hopefully they will keep it up. Macy has been doing very good. No accidents in the house and we crate her at night. She goes 7 hours, 11 - 6, so far so I'm not complaining. We had planned a trip to Illinois to visit Grandma B over spring break so Macy will now be joining us. Should be interesting! The breeder offered to keep her for the week but I didn't want to take the week away with the girls. They were in tears over it. Keep watching...I'm sure we'll have many more photos to share :)

Valentines and Snow

2010-02-18T20:44:00.001-06:00

The girls had 2 snow days last week when we got over 10 inches of snow which was blowing and drifting so we made the best of our time off by finishing our handmade Valentines. Ella and Taylor chose to make lollipop flowers and Emma made rockets which were lifesaver rolls and a hershey kiss. They were all super easy and turned out too cute. We also made and decorated cupcakes and Taylor created a ferris wheel out of our K'nex kit that Emma got for Christmas. The girls also had great fun playing in the snow.

Time flys!

2010-02-04T19:57:00.010-06:00

Where did January go? I can't believe I haven't posted since Christmas. Seriously, time does fly. Although January was pretty quiet, we did get out and about but I forgot my camera at every outing...VERY bummed about that. We have been extremely lucky and avoided most illnesses this winter. In fact, Taylor had her 9 year doctor well check and wasn't at the doc for anything during the last year. Emma had a stomach bug a while back and Dave took Ella and Taylor sledding where Ella knocked out her front baby tooth. And no it was not ready so I think she will have a hole for quite a while. She didn't even know she did it. She was more concerned that they couldn't find the tooth. She wrote the tooth fairy a note and she still found Ella. We have seen a few movies: Princess and the Frog, Alvin and the Chipmunks, The Tooth Fairy, G-Force. Dave and I took Emma and Ella rolling skating while Taylor was sleeping over at a friends. Ella is "hell on wheels". She loves it and has so much fun. Emma has fun but is much more cautious and has to be holding your hand. We also visited Imagination Station which was great. The girls loved it so we ended up buying an annual family pass. Well worth the money. Now we can visit often. All the girls are doing great in school. They are all working on class Valentines and today was the 100th day of school. Emma & Ella are having a special 100 day parade tomorrow. They are also working on a whale unit, LOTS of reading and sight words, writing numbers 11-20, journaling and geometric shapes. Taylor has started multiplication and division, learning about freedom and voting in social studies, motion and friction in science and LOTS of reading for her, too. I can't believe we are already in the 3rd quarter of the year. Spring will be here before we know it. I'm not complaining about that. We have also been puppy shopping. We made a deposit for first pick of a Maltipoo(crossbreed of a Maltese and a Poodle) litter that should be in April. Just a quick recap of whats been happening here. I plan to remember my camera from now on. Keep us in your favorites!

Merry Christmas!

2010-01-09T20:59:00.001-06:00

We were very fortunate to spend the holidays with family and friends ejoying good food, laughter and lots of fun this year. We spent Christmas eve at Nana and Grandpa Jim's house with cousins enjoying dinner and candlelight service at church. The girls woke up Christmas morning to find many gifts that they had been wanting from Santa. Emma loved her new American Girl and watch. Ella got a Barbie vet set and Taylor gets to jam to her own tunes on her new iPod. They all enjoyed their new Zhu Zhu pets. We were blessed to have a happy and healthy 2009 and wish the same for everyone in 2010.

Holiday Decorating

2009-12-27T20:19:00.001-06:00

As always, the girls had super fun decorating for Christmas this year. It was a little later than normal since we were away for Thanksgiving. The tree usually goes up that weekend. We added another tree in the family room this year that has colored lights and was decorated by the girls. We also made many batches of chex mix, puppy chow, peanut butter blossom cookies and decorated sugar cookies for the holidays.

Happy 9th Birthday Taylor!

2009-12-26T21:27:00.001-06:00

Left to Right: Alyssa, Paige, Taylor, Ashley, Paige, Addison and Toree

It is totally crazy to think that Taylor turned 9 this year. I always tell her she is not allowed to go into the double digits so no more birthdays for her. She celebrated in early December with 6 of her friends by getting pedicures and manicures. We then came back to the house for games, cake and ice cream. She said it was her best birthday ever but I think she says that every year. We had a small family birthday with grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and cousins on her actual birthday.

Disney World

2009-12-20T21:25:00.002-06:00

This year we spent Thanksgiving at Walt Disney World. We suprised the girls early Tuesday morning, before Thanksgiving, with a 8 day stay at Disney. This had been in the works for some time so pulling it off as a secret was a success in itself. Needless to say, they were SUPER excited! We had great weather all week with the exception of rain one day but you can't let that stop you. We ended up buying ponches and kept on going. We spent that day at Hollywood studios trying to watch most of the indoor theater shows. The girls had great fun swimming in the hotel pool while it was raining that night. We enjoyed time at The Animal Kingdom, HollyWood Studios, Epcot and The Majic Kingdom. Some of the major highlights were a princess lunch with Cinderella, Ariel, Snow White, Aurora(Sleeping Beauty), and Belle, Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Parade and Fireworks show, Dinner and Breakfast at Chef Mickey's where you get to see Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Donald Duck and Goofy, The Bibbidy Bobbidy Boutique where Emma and Taylor got made up as princesses complete with hair, makeup, nails and fairy dust. Ella wanted nothing to do with this. One of the most interesting parts of this trip, compared to our visit 3 years ago, was seeing the girl's different personalities. At 3 years old, we threw Emma & Ella in the stroller and rolled away. They obviously were much more aware of their surroundings this time and were very vocal about what they wanted and didn't want to do. Taylor is very easy going and goes along with most things without complaining. She really enjoyed The American Idol Experience and The Toy Story Mania 3D game. Emma enjoyed seeing all the characters and would want and did sometimes wait in line for hours to see them. She was super excited to see Tinker Bell, Silvermist and Rosetta who are all new at Disney. Ella, well... as always, she was Ella. It depended on her mood what she was up for. Some characters she really enjoyed and others not so much. She really enjoyed the castle shows, parades and theater shows like Finding Nemo, Beauty and The Beast and Little Mermaid. It was a super fun family vacation that I hope the girls will always remember!

2009-12-20T20:52:00.000-06:00

2009-12-14T16:06:00.001-06:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Champ

2009-12-07T21:47:00.002-06:00

My beloved Champ dog passed away suddenly and very unexpectedly early Sunday morning. He was a very dear part of our family and will be incredibly missed. He was my first "baby" when I brought him home at only 5 weeks old. He quickly grew into a 100 pound lap dog. For the past 11 years, he has been the biggest "baby" in the house and we expected to have many more years of enjoyment with him. Champ was and will continue to be very loved!

Happy Birthday Mom!

2009-11-09T21:13:00.002-06:00

Sue and Becky in the back. Mom, me and Jane sitting.

Mom...aka Grandma B. turned 80 last week....doesn't she look great! Dave and I took a quick trip Saturday to Illinois to suprise her at a birthday dinner my sisters planned. It was great to be there and see her expression. I wish the girls could have gone but we thought it would have been too long in a car for such a short trip. They spent the weekend at Grandma & Grandpa Sharpe's having their own fun.

Happy Halloween

2009-11-09T20:55:00.001-06:00

The girls had great fun this Halloween....even Ella. She did dress up and planned to stay with daddy to hand out candy but caught up with us a few houses down the road and then loved going door to door. The school was collecting candy for the troops over seas so the girls loved going through their candy deciding what to keep and what to part with. They all gave up quite a bit. The school collected 4,000 pounds in all.

Digging in to carve pumpkins.

Taylor....aka "The Cowgirl"

Ella...aka "The 50s girl"

Emma....aka "A Monarch Butterfly"

Major Update!!

2009-10-15T21:43:00.003-05:00

It has been over a month since our last post. What have we been up to? Well....I have been trying to settle into a routine of getting 3 little girls up and ready for school on time, packing lunches/snacks/water bottles, checking back packs and homework folders and that is just the morning. Taylor is doing very well. She is doing great in all subjects and has really improved in math. She is still taking piano lessons, as well as, a hip hop and jazz dance classes. Emma and Ella are loving school, too. They have both counted to 100 and are working on letter sounds, sight words, simple reading and journaling. Emma is continuing with her swimming and dance class and Ella....well she is just being Ella. She loves to do anything outside.

Apple Picking

2009-10-15T21:39:00.001-05:00

Last weekend, we had great weather and went on our family apple picking outing at MacQueens Orchard. I can never tell what the girls like best. Picking apples, climbing the trees, eating apples or eating homemade donuts and cider.

Late Summer Fun

2009-10-15T21:28:00.001-05:00

End of the season tomato picking and...

....eating. The girls went to Grandma & Grandpa Sharpes to pick tomatos and of course ride the lawn tractor and wagon.

Watch out! Taylor's behind the wheel.

School Days

2009-09-03T20:50:00.004-05:00

The school gang!

Back L-R: Tanner, Ethan and Matt.

Front L-R: Ella, Taylor, Ashley and Emma.

The girls on their first day of school. Emma and Ella starting kindergarten(can you believe it) and Taylor going in 3rd grade. Wow....what a day! I must admit that this day was much easier for the girls than it was for me. I was so proud to share this day with the girls and held in all my tears until I got home. The girls and I filled each others pockets with kisses and hugs to use throughout the day which helped. Emma & Ella were so excited the night before that they had a hard time settling down to sleep and were up bright and early dressed and ready to go. This was all good but made for a very long day and crabby evening after a full day at kindergarten. Things have gotten easier now we are into a routine after a couple weeks. They are all loving every minute!

Meeting Sara, the school therapy dog, on the first day of school.

2009-09-03T20:46:00.001-05:00

Taylor with her teacher, Mrs. Mahler. This is who she was hoping to get. She had heard she was the "cool" 3rd grade teacher and she seems to be great!

Ella and Emma with their teacher, Ms. Kronmann. This is her 1st year teaching and seems to have lots of fun learning activities planned. The girls come home excited and ready to go back every day.

Grandma Bs

2009-08-26T20:35:00.001-05:00

The girls and I had tons of fun this year visiting with Grandma B, sisters, aunts, cousins, nieces and friends while in Illinois. We got to go swimming, shopping, watch a movie in the park, a trip to the zoo and of course lots of eating out.

Ella lost her first tooth (the bottom middle one) while at Grandma Bs. She was actually with Aunt Jane, Brittany and Olivia so I missed this first but she was VERY excited that the tooth fairy visited her at Grandmas.

2009-08-26T20:13:00.001-05:00

Enjoying the day at the zoo with Brittany, Olivia and Aunt Jane

Pool fun at Aunt Becky's
Ella coming off the slide

Taylor on the diving board

Emma with the horse at Grandma Bs

Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park

2009-08-18T21:53:00.001-05:00

We planned a weekend "camping" trip with our great friends at the Jellystone Park in Indiana http://www.jellystonesbest.com/ the last part of July. Many people do not consider camping to be a cabin with air, satellite TV, full kitchen, bath & shower, etc....to be camping but I do. We rented the cabin for Friday and Saturday night and had a blast doing so many things.

Emma's souvenir tye dye shirt

Rental bikes that we got to ride around the campgrounds

2009-08-18T21:48:00.001-05:00

The kids fishing

The guys playing poker

Emma, Ella, Ashley, Tanner and Taylor

Pool fun

Country Lane Tree Farm

2009-08-14T22:20:00.002-05:00

The girls and I had the chance to visit The Country Lane Tree Farm http://www.countrylanetreefarm.com/ with Sheila and her class. This is a real working farm with so many animals and incredible things for the kids to explore. The girls got to milk a real cow, bottle feed goats and lambs, ride in the barrel train, hold baby chicks, pet bunnies, feed the llamas and run thru the hay maze to name only a few.

Mimi's Visit

2009-08-14T22:08:00.001-05:00

We were soooooo excited to have Mimi visit with us. It was only for a short time, now that she is part of the "real working world" but we managed to fit in many fun activities. We spent some time at Side Cut Metro Park at the river, spent the day at the zoo with a guided monkey tour thanks to Kristen and Mimi spent some time with the girls alone which allowed Dave and I to go out on a date....thanks Mimi!

Safety City

2009-08-14T21:36:00.002-05:00

Emma & Ella participated in the local Safety City Program in July that is put together by the Waterville Police Department for kids entering kindergarten. It is a 1/2 day week long program that focuses on a different daily safety topic ie....stranger danger, walking on sidewalks/crosswalks, bus safety, bike safety....Unfortunately Ella was sick for the last 2 days of the program but I was very excited that Emma happily went alone and had a great time. Ella would not take part in the week end graduation program where the kids sang songs they learned and were presented with a shirt, new bike helmet and a certificate of completion but again Emma took part and had super fun!

Sauder Village

2009-07-16T21:22:00.001-05:00

Last week Emma, Ella and I got to spend a great day with Nana at Sauder's Village

http://www.saudervillage.com/home/default.asp

while Taylor was at Kalahari Waterpark with a friend. The weather was great and we spent the day in the village watching the broom makers, glass blowers, visiting the animal barns, old school house, doctors office, church and old farm house.

Carriage ride pulled by Jake, the horse

Train ride

Cow milking

The newest farm addition.... Buttercup

2009-07-16T21:20:00.001-05:00

Basket making

House Keeping

Egg Collecting

Park Pics

2009-07-16T21:13:00.001-05:00

Wednesday afternoon the girls and I spent some time at Side Cut Metropark playing on the playground and walking in the river. It is sad because we desperately need rain but it makes the river so much fun when it is low. You can walk across it to the island and just have so much fun exploring.

HAPPY 4th OF JULY!

2009-07-07T21:19:00.001-05:00

Camping

2009-07-06T21:22:00.003-05:00

We had our first annual campout at the shelter house which was super fun! It was great weather and the kids had a blast.

Our campsite...Daddy got a new tent for Father's Day. This was a little thinking ahead since we didn't own a tent and we knew the campout was coming up.

Waiting for face painting.

Obstacle course race.

2009-07-06T21:20:00.002-05:00

Watch out Ella....here comes a water balloon!

S'mores...YUM!

Settling down for our "big screen" outdoor movie Hotel for Dogs. We hung a sheet and projected the movie from a laptop while enjoying popcorn and popsicles.

Butterfly House

2009-07-06T20:59:00.001-05:00

Sheila, from Sheila's Shining Stars Preschool, where Emma & Ella previously attended was nice enough to ask the girls and I to go along on her field trip to the Butterfly House http://www.butterfly-house.com/. We normally visit the house and then have a picnic lunch in the gardens but it was a yucky, rainy, wet day so we spent some time at the house and then had our picnic lunch back in the classroom. This was nice, too because it gave the girls some time to play with their friends that they don't get to see too often.

Let's Party!

2009-06-17T22:46:00.001-05:00

We had a party for family and friends on Sunday afternoon. We enjoyed a pizza lunch followed by face painting for the kids which was truly amazing. You have to check out the site. http://www.airodynamic.net/ We then opened gifts, had cake & ice cream and the kids got to fill their party favor buckets with goodies from the pinata. The girls were blessed with many great gifts from wonderful family and friends and had a super fun time!

Happy Birthday!!

2009-06-17T22:03:00.006-05:00

WOW....Emma & Ella are 6! I can hardly believe it. It has been an incredible year of growth for both the girls. It is truly amazing to see each of their personalities develop so differently from one another but yet still be so connected to each other. Emma is conservatively outgoing ( if that makes sense). She will generally be the one to step up and try something new or stand out in the front of the crowd within her own comfort zone. Ella, on the other hand does not like to be the center of any attention, good or bad. We have struggled with her at the dentist, doctor, preschool graduation, gymnastics recognition....I'm hoping in time, she will grow to be more comfortable with these things. It has also been interesting to watch different friendships evolve with the girls. I knew in time we would have to deal with "this person likes Emma/Ella more than me". I just never imagined it would be so soon. With such different personalities they are definitely going to each attract their own friends. Although it is hard for them to understand at this age and they do not want to be separated. I have had some wonderful mothers offer separate play dates but the girls didn't seem to like the idea much when offered. It will be my continued joy to watch my girls grow individually but always feel that family closeness.

The girls enjoyed dinner out at the peanut restaurant (Texas Roadhouse) as they call it complete with singing waiters and ice cream sundaes. We then played miniature golf and had to hit Toys r Us to spend birthday money that was burning a hole in the girls' pocket. They each got a new Nintendo DS game to go with the DS's they got from us.

Lemonade....?

2009-06-17T21:23:00.002-05:00

Last weekend was the annual town garage sales and we had ALOT of stuff to get rid of this year...we ended up making over $600 dollars. The girls wanted to help, too so we ended up making rice krispy treats, chocolate chip cookies, brownies and sugar cookies to sell with lemonade. They ended up making over $20 in just one day. Of course, there were alot of donations by people giving a dollar and not taking change or just giving them quarters. They were too cute to just pass by!

Gymnastics

2009-06-17T21:08:00.002-05:00

The girls have finished their gymnastic lessons for this year and were all awarded trophies. Taylor received her 2 year trophy and Emma & Ella got their 1st year ones. We are taking the summer off and then will have to decide if we want to stay with gymnastics or move to something different. Taylor is considering a hip hop dance class.

Zoo Day

2009-06-07T22:08:00.001-05:00

Taylor, Toree, Emma, Ella and Cody

A couple weekends ago, we got to spend a beautiful Saturday at The Toledo Zoo with our great friends Tracey, Toree and Cody. It was super fun and we can't wait to visit them in their new house in Lima.

Memorial Day

2009-05-27T22:29:00.001-05:00

We attend the Memorial Day parade each year in Liberty Center but this year the girls and cousins decorated bikes, scooters and wagons to be in the parade. Some of the moms walked with to throw out candy, too. We were even voted most patriotic and won gift certicates to the dairy barn in Liberty. This photo was taken prior to decorating and alot of the gang are missing.
L to R: Ella, Emma, Taylor, Hope, MacKenna and Calla

Four Generations

2009-05-27T22:23:00.001-05:00

Nana(Dave's mom), Great-Grandma Bonnie(Dave's grandma) and Dave with the girls.

Graduation!

2009-05-27T22:14:00.001-05:00

What a day! Friday was Emma & Ella's last day of preschool and graduation performance. It was definitely an emotional day. They have both grown and matured so much over the last year. I am so proud of each of them. I can't believe my babies are headed to kindergarten this fall. Ella tells me she will fill my pockets with kisses so I will have them while she is away during the day. The graduating class (minus Ella) performed songs in the auditorium and then were presented a "first" Bible and their completed graduation book filled with different events and certificates that were completed throughout the school year. The kids then got to play some games outside and eat a picnic lunch. We even let Taylor skip school in the morning so she could be with us. Emma & Ella really wanted her to be there. Now...for those of you that know Ella well enough know why she did not perform. She is NOT a center of attention type girl. I thought maybe once she was with her class she would be fine. She did the complete rehersal the day before but there was no audience. The day of graduation, she walked into the auditorium at performance time and completely broke down. She ended up sitting on my lap and watched Emma, who did a GREAT job! Ella even told her how proud she was of her. Taylor has only a few days of school left and we plan to have a great summer!

Toledo Zoo 1K Family Run

2009-05-27T21:41:00.001-05:00

This was our second family 1K run and I have to admit it was no easier than last year....for me anyway. Although it is super fun to do this as a family. The course was different this year and better in my opinion. Last year, we had to run up the ramps and behind the African Safari. It's hard enough walking the crowded ramps let alone running. This year we started at the aquarium and did a loop ending where we started. The weather was kind of ify this year too but the rain drops hit the window as we were getting back in the van to head home.

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-16T21:09:00.001-05:00

I was very blessed to spend a wonderful Mother's Day with my girls and Dave! We went to church and to the shelter house in the afternoon for lunch and a sunny but windy day outside. The girls painted some rocks that Dave varnished so we could put them outside in the landscaping.

New Friends

2009-05-16T20:48:00.002-05:00

Last weekend the girls, or daddy, found a toad while mowing. It provided non-stop entertainment all Saturday afternoon and even traveled with us to the shelter house on Mother's Day and was the hit of the party until something cuter and furrier came along....the baby bunny. It was found in the grass and actually caught by nana. It got lots of hugs and love from everyone. It was old enough to make it on its own in the wild but I'm not sure after it was handled by everyone and then let go.

Helping Hands

2009-05-08T20:53:00.001-05:00

The girls decided the van needed washing one warm evening. I'm not sure who got wetter...the van or the girls. I know Ella changed her clothes 3 times. I know we are definetly ready for summer. We can't wait for the shorts and tank tops full time.

Today I got to spend the morning with Emma & Ella at preschool to celebrate Mother's Day. We got to make a popsicle stick photo frame, have our picture taken, play games and have cookies, yogurt parfaits and lemonade. The class also sang songs to all the mothers that is too cute!

2009-05-08T20:10:00.002-05:00

Photo Shoot

2009-04-28T21:20:00.002-05:00

Taylor's second grade planted tulip bulbs last fall in the school land lab and the classes have been studying them during the spring as they have come up. Last week they were in full bloom so we took advantage to take some great pictures on a beautiful sunny day.

Spangler Candy Co.

2009-04-28T21:03:00.001-05:00

Sheila, Emma & Ella's previous preschool teacher, from Sheila's Shining Stars was kind enough to invite us on her school field trip to the Spanger Candy Co. which makes candy canes, dum-dum suckers, circus peanuts, safety pops, etc...This is our second visit but well worth it. You get to tour the company on a trolley while watching videos and being told about the company history and candy making process. They also have a small candy museum and store where you, of course, get free samples. Interesting....there are 6 to 8 new dum-dum sucker flavors created each year with only 1 or 2 ever making it to market which is decided by consumer interest. Lemon-lime was the new flavor on trial during our visit....I thought it was tasty. Ella is trying the buttered popcorn which was created and marketed in 2008. None of us cared for it. Oh yeah...you gotta love the hairnets!

Easter Sunday

2009-04-18T20:08:00.001-05:00

The Easter bunny always knows just what to bring. The girls got new bikes! They have been needing them since they can all now ride WITHOUT training wheels. Ella had taken over Taylor's bike since she called hers a "baby" bike and Emma just got her training wheels taken off Friday before Easter so the timing could not have been better. They have been on them everyday and polishing them in the garage when done.

Happy Easter!

2009-04-17T22:11:00.003-05:00

We were very blessed on Easter Sunday with family, friends, good food and great weather. After church, we headed to the shelter house for lunch and an egg hunt with over 400 eggs and prizes with 16 kids.

All lined up and ready to hunt!

Where are all the eggs?

I found one!

All our goodies!

Surprise!!!!

2009-04-17T21:45:00.002-05:00

We had a surprise visit from Aunt Sues, my sister, over the Easter holiday. She surprised the girls by arriving on Saturday around noon. We were all super excited...especially the girls!! She was able to be with us at the egg hunt, spend Easter Sunday with us at the shelter house, watch the girls do gymnastics, visit Emma & Ella's school, a trip to the Andersons store and help with all of our other daily fun. We also got to spend a little time together as sisters when all the girls had school on Wednesday. Of course, I had to take her shopping at Target.

Egg hunting & coloring

2009-04-17T21:28:00.001-05:00

This year we all got to experience an Easter egg hunt by helicopter. A local church sponsored an egg hunt with a helicopter dropping 20,000 plastic filled eggs. Even with that many eggs....the girls were lucky to get even one. Yes....there were that many people! It was worth it just to see the drop though. The girls had great fun coloring eggs this year, too. I think we ended up with over 4 dozen painted eggs. They used many different methods. Some were painted, others dipped, some were tye dyed and some with stickers.

2009-04-16T20:32:00.002-05:00

I thought this was too pretty not to share. I noticed it while upstairs and it sat in the tree for over half an hour. This was great....it gave me time to show all the girls and take some pictures inside and outside.

Water Park Fun

2009-04-10T10:02:00.002-05:00

2 weekends ago we took the girls to Splash Universe (an indoor waterpark). We had gotten a day pass gift certificate for Christmas from Grandma and Grandpa Sharpe but decided to do the whole overnight thing which is much easier. It is just nice to have a room to go back to to change clothes and rest instead of using the pool locker rooms. Grandpa Sharpe also came to have dinner with us which was nice. Unfortunately, Grandma was working. None of the girls were into the water slides or water climbing play area. They pretty much stuck to the little slides, the lazy river, family spa and the hotels regular pool which is too funny. It was just a rectangular pool but it had warm water, noboby in it and the girls could touch the bottom. I think it reminded Ella of her swim lesson pool which she is comfortable in and liked this one, as well. Still, everyone had great fun! Sorry about the foggy photo. The camera lens kept fogging up with the pool humidity. Oh Yeah, we can't forget out trip to Cabellas. For those of you that don't know what this is...please check out the website. www.cabellas.com. I do have to say that the aquarium and animal displays are amazing. The girls are sitting on moose antlers at the bear statue outside in front of the store.

Handprinting

2009-04-10T09:48:00.001-05:00

Taylor, Ella and Emma with Ms. Terri (our church's youth director) and Allie (Terri's daughter and our babysitter). We were very excited when Terri asked us to complete a project in our church. They have been working on MANY changes in our church and had recently moved and painted the nursery that needed some finishing touches. The girls were asked to add their handprints around the border of the room. They had great fun and the room turned out soooo cute!!!

School Science Expo

2009-04-10T09:18:00.002-05:00

Emma & Ella's school, Monclova Christian, held a science expo that included an Astronaut Training Day for the preschoolers. I was lucky enough to be able to help with the event that included many different stations for the kids to be part of. They got to complete an art project, take a ride in the "moon rover", walk on "moon boots" and lots of other fun games and projects. We ended the day with a snack and some free time in the gym.

Swim lessons

2009-03-29T20:43:00.003-05:00

Ella has been taking private swimming lessons once a week for the past month or so. She absolutely loves to be in the water and has had so much fun and learned so much with one on one instruction. All the girls have completed their life saving instruction "swim float swim" lessons and are now moving on to regular stroke instruction. She is learning the Red Cross method that has 6 levels and can eventually take her all the way to life guarding. Ella is the only one that has an interest right now. Scheduling is hard for Taylor and Emma is more of a lounge swimmer so time will tell with them. I am not pushing them since they have both completed the most important life saving techniques so I now they have the knowledge and ability to save themselves if ever needed.

Ella with Miss Amanda, her instructor, choosing her diving eggs.

Ella swimming through a hula hoop in the pool. It is lowered a little every week so she can get closer to the bottom with each try.

Ella swimming with "big" arms(regular swim stroke) and eyes in. She can swim the length of a therapy pool this way coming up to take a breath and putting her head right back in. She is also is great at the back stroke.

Emma hanging out in her corner while Ella has her lesson. It is so nice that they let her do this so it keeps her busy, too. They both then get a little hot tub time to warm up.

2009-03-29T20:41:00.000-05:00

Lazy day...

2009-03-29T20:32:00.001-05:00

at the Sharpe's for Champ and Romo. They both love to lay in the formal living room where the sun shines bright through the window most of the afternoon. The floor is nice and warm with lots of room to spread out. It's good that they don't mind sharing their space.

Ella

2009-03-14T11:45:00.006-05:00

The girls have been working on many things at preschool over the last few months getting them ready for kindergarten. With each thing they master they get a certificate of completion that goes in their "graduation" book that they will bring home at the end of the year. I haven't gotten to see this yet so I am very excited. They have each mastered their letters, shapes, colors and counting to 10. Emma is also part of the "100 club" which is counting to 100 with NO help. Ella is almost there....we have been practicing. Counting to 100 is not a requirement but something fun for the kids to work on. This doesn't need to be mastered until the end of kindergarten so there are no worries if Ella doesn't get there just yet....just the pressure of knowing that Emma has already done it. They also had to recite The Pledge of Allegiance which is so cute I wanted to share it. We will be having parent/teacher conferences for kindergarten readiness later in March. In fact, I have already registered them for the school year starting in fall but I don't think it has quite set in for me yet. The girls are very excited though!

Emma

2009-03-14T11:32:00.002-05:00

Finally!

2009-03-01T19:31:00.001-06:00

We have been waiting for our new piano for a couple of months now. We researched, shopped and picked this one out around Christmas but they only had the floor model at the time that was in poor condition so Dave finally got to pick up a new one today. The timing couldn't be better. Taylor starts her private lessons this week with the same instructor that taught her group lesson. She is very excited about the lessons and the new piano.

Taylor's Date....

2009-03-01T19:15:00.001-06:00

...with daddy. Friday was the father/daughter dance at school. This was the first one so we weren't sure what to expect but Taylor had great fun! She got to get all dressed up, hair curled and even a little make-up (lip gloss and sparkle face powder). Daddy even got her an arm corsage to wear. Each girl got a long stem red rose, punch and cookies, a waltz dance lesson and their picture taken. Emma and Ella are hoping they do it next year so they can have a date with daddy, too.

Caught on video.....

2009-02-23T20:12:00.004-06:00

....Ella singing in the shower! She was taking a shower in our bathroom, which she rarely does, and started singing the second I walked out. I couldn't get to my camera fast enough. It is just too funny. She definitely started to show off a little once she realized I was filming her. I still laugh till I cry every time I watch this.

Disaster....

2009-02-08T20:13:00.002-06:00

Last weekend we had one of the 9 foot shelving sections in our master bedroom walk-in closet fall. What a MESS! We decided to make the most of it and completely gut the closet, paint it and have closet maid closet professionals come in to hang new shelving and shoe racks. If only it could stay this clean. Afterall, it is a closet, and that's where all the "junk" goes. It was a good excuse to clear out some clothes though. Dave and I are both making large contributions to this years garage sale. This was only the start of what turned out to be a bad week...keep reading!

Sick!

2009-02-08T19:44:00.004-06:00

We have all been a little under the weather this past week. It started with the girls having the sniffles...Taylor missed a 1/2 day of school on Tuesday and then a stomach bug Tuesday night and Wednesday. Emma starting vomiting Tuesday evening followed by me into Wednesday. Thank goodness it only seemed to be a 24 hour thing and neither Ella or Taylor got it. Dave also got his walking cast this past week. For those of you that don't know, Dave has been complaining about shin pain in his left leg since December. He finally decided to see a doctor last week and after a bone scan, it was discovered that he has a broken tibia. If he follows doctors orders(which is sometimes very hard for Dave) he can stay in the removable walking cast for hopefully 8 weeks followed by therapy for a full recovery.

snow, snow, snow...

2009-01-17T10:06:00.002-06:00

and more snow! We have been staying home, it seems, for the last couple of weeks due to the snow, school cancellations, wind and cold. Last weekend we got over 10 inches of nice fluffy snow and it was sunny and warm enough to be outside. All the girls spent over 2 hours outside shoveling, sledding, sliding and making snowballs and snow forts. We got this really cool snowball maker that makes perfect round balls and better yet....it keeps your hands warm. It has a handle for scooping and releasing the snowballs so you don't have to touch them and your hands don't get wet and cold. Emma made all the ones above in the photo. The best part is coming inside for hot chocolate with LOTS of marshmallows.

EMMA DID IT....

2009-01-17T09:49:00.001-06:00

She got her ears pierced! She has been wanting to do it since Taylor had hers done last spring but mom was more nervous with Emma. I don't know why because she was a trooper. She wouldn't even hold my hand when I asked her to. She had them done New Year's Day so we have been counting the days till she can change them (8 LONG weeks). I have heard every day...is today the day? So, we hung a calendar in her room so she can mark the days off herself. Ella wants nothing to do with the ear piercing....she says she is still thinking about it. I think she may be thinking a long time.

MiMi's Visit

2009-01-10T21:06:00.003-06:00

MiMi's visit with us was great, as always, but way too short. She only got to stay a week and the girls were already asking when she was coming back before she even left. It is hard for them to understand how busy she is with grad school and her internship. The girls got to spend lots of time playing MiMi's new instruments she got for Christmas. We invited our friends Beth, Averie, Baylor, Reagan and Kylie over for a musical jam session with MiMi on the guitar and the kids on their instrument of chose. We also got do some shopping and drink slushi drinks.

Santa Claus is coming to town!

2009-01-10T20:34:00.003-06:00

It is an annual tradition for Santa to make a visit to Grandma and Grandpa Sharpe's house to deliver presents. It is also an annual traditon for Ella to not want anything to do with him. Although she says he is a "nice" guy and will take his gifts, she will not go anywhere near him. When we got to their house, she would not even take her coat off because I think she knew what was coming and she was trying to stay in her comfort zone. After gifts were passed out and Santa was gone, it didn't take her long to start having fun. Taylor and Emma love to sit and talk with Santa.

Merry Christmas!!!

2008-12-28T22:18:00.002-06:00

We were very blessed this Christmas to be able to share great memories, gifts and food with many of our family & friends. The girls seemed to be especially excited on Christmas morning this year....Ella the most. She looked for her name on the packages and started to rip in. She was most excited about her Barbie Diamond Castle while Emma found Santa left her a play store. Together, they got a Wii which has been a big hit. The girls love to bowl. Taylor and I have also tried our talent at tennis, as well. Santa even left Romo a new cat climber which he loves and Champ got a new pig ear. Daddy got many new Dallas Cowboy nicknacks that were needed to complete his basement collection and Mommy was spoiled with a new camera, Ugg boots and perfume to name a few. The girls had fun shopping with daddy this year to pick me out lots of "girly" things. We wish all of you many blessings, happiness and good health for 2009! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

2008-12-28T21:40:00.002-06:00

We were very disappointed to find out that Emma & Ella's preschool Christmas program was cancelled due to severe ice that we had on December 19th. The girls were very much looking forward to it and so were we. Mrs Hummel, their teacher, has never had to cancel in 20 years. I had the girls perform what they could remember in front of our tree at home so I could video tape them. It was too cute listening to them sing around the house for the past month that they have been practicing at school. I couldn't just let it go. I think they had fun, too. This is just one of many songs...Enjoy!

Christmas is coming....

2008-12-28T21:23:00.001-06:00

The girls and daddy had great fun getting ready for the holidays this year. They all loved getting out the decorations and helping put everything out. It has become a tradition for daddy and the girls to decorate the sugar cookies. Mommy gets to cut them out with the girls and clean up. This year they attempted their first gingerbread house which turned out pretty good considering the girls ate half the candy that was to go on the house. Taylor always gets to put the star on the tree top.

Happy Birthday!!

2008-12-28T21:06:00.002-06:00

Wow...Taylor is 8 years old! We celebrated her birthday with dinner (sloppy joes, chips and cole slaw) of her choice at our house with Nana, Grandpa Jim, Great Grandma & Grandpa, Aunt Tammy, Hope and Calla. JT and Uncle Tom were home sick with strep throat. Taylor is also not much of a cake eater so she wanted brownies with ice cream. She was very blessed with many new gifts. A few of her favorites were a new bitty baby, she named Gabriella, and a digital camera. Our baby is growing up so fast....right before our eyes. It is amazing to see how she has grown and matured into a young lady. She is very well mannered, caring and polite. She is still taking piano lessons and gymnastics which she loves doing both. Taylor does great in school and has become quite the reader, which I admire because I am not.

Elf Yourself

2008-12-22T14:52:00.001-06:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Let's Party!!!

2008-12-07T20:26:00.002-06:00

Taylor had her first sleepover birthday party on Saturday. There were 7 girls total and my best friend Tracey(Toree's mom) that stayed to help out and keep me company that met at the house at 5 for pizza and then on to Build a Bear where they each got to make and dress their own bear. Then back to the house for cake, icecream, presents and lots of "girly" fun. The girls were very good and had lots of fun although some didn't fall asleep til 4am. Lots of cleanup for mom on Sunday but then we all took naps in the afternoon. Emma and Ella got to spend the night with their cousins Hope, Calla and JT so they had their own fun and were quite tired, as well.

Front L to R: Mia, Taylor and Rachel
Back: Alyssa, Molly, Ashley and Toree

Forgotten Photos!

2008-12-07T19:58:00.001-06:00

Here are a few photos that I had forgotten were even on my camera. They are too cute not to share. The girls were lots of help on a beautiful Indian Summer day raking leaves and then jumping in them so I had to start all over again....which is all part of the fun. On the flip side, Emma and Ella also had great fun with the first snow of '08. Ella definitely is much more of a snow bunny than Emma or Taylor. She stayed out for over an hour (by herself) just running around making snow angels, snow balls and sliding down the slide...you go girl!

Visit to Grandma Bs

2008-11-24T13:04:00.003-06:00

I actually have no pictures of our trip to Illinois. It was very uneventful (which is good) but lots of fun. We all got to visit with Aunt Becky, Aunt Sues and Aunt Jane. The girls spent a day with Aunt Jane, Brittany and Olivia shopping, baking and having lots of fun while I took mom to lunch and Christmas shopping. We also got to watch Brittany #10 in a basketball scrimage. It is hard to believe that my "baby" niece is a freshman in high school. And of course, we got to eat taco pizza at Happy Joes and had lunch at Roy's Taco House which is always a must. We are hoping to have family visitors to our house in 2009(hint-hint). Our next visit to Illinois will be our usual summer week in July.

Happy Halloween

2008-11-04T12:31:00.001-06:00

The girls had great fun celebrating Halloween this year. We all carved pumpkins together and saved the seeds which we roasted with a little salt and olive oil. We all loved them! Taylor enjoyed a costume parade and party at school while Emma & Ella had a Johnny Appleseed party at school. Taylor and Emma dressed up for trick or treating while Ella decided to be herself and stay home to pass out candy with daddy. She had no interest in dressing up and going door to door . We thought there is no reason to push her into it...she is definitley old enough to make her own decision on something like this.

Emma aka a cheerleader

Taylor aka Hannah Montana

Happy Birthday to Mommy!

2008-11-04T12:10:00.004-06:00

This is the girls "rock" version of Happy Birthday! Don't mind Ella...with no pants on. She rarely wears them when at home so I am very used to it. I had to laugh when I noticed she didn't have any on in the video. They also decorated a very yummy cake for me!

2008-11-04T11:37:00.000-06:00