Happy Birthday Catherine!

It was Catherine's 2nd birthday on Friday! Hard to believe that two years have already gone by. We had a party on Friday night, complete with cake,

presents,

(I love the reaction from her big sister)

and a great time.

The next morning, Isabella and I were awoken by this:

She had it as loud as it would go and Isabella and I, half sleeping, looked at each other as if to say, "Really Catherine? It's only 7:15 on Saturday morning!" She was carrying it around like it was a boombox, having a great time. Thank you Grandma Becky. We owe you one.

She was also making laps around the island with her new stroller and baby, with her new purse around the handle. Each time she passed, we'd have to make a lane so we wouldn't get run over.

Happy Birthday Catherine Marie! We love you very much!!

Here Comes the Sun

Isabella participated in her first graduation ceremony today with her preschool. Her class still has one more year of preschool, but our dear friends, Sophia and Ella graduated and were promoted up to kindergarten! I can't believe that my baby girl is almost 4 and has one year of preschool under her belt!

The theme for the ceremony was Sunshine, which is why all the kids wore yellow t-shirts and shades! Just to explain Isabella's posture, she was told to stand like a statue, and she did...

Thank you to Grandma Becky, Grandpa Vinny, Auntie Abby, Auntie Andrea, Uncle Jared, Aunt Betty, and Janie for helping us celebrate such a fun day. And, big congrats to Sophia and Ella. We love you!

Waiting for the program to begin - standing like a "statue"

Singing "You are my Sunshine"

Waiting and waiting...

Our favorite preschool angel teachers - Thank you Mrs. Rodriguez and Mrs. Engel. We love you!

BFFs - Ella, Madalyn, Sophia, and Isabella

Proud parents with our little graduate! Love you sweet Isabella. We are so proud of you.

December Happenings!

Now that December is nearly over, and all of 2010 for that matter, I figured I would post a few of the highlights from this December. We had a great month, and enjoyed every moment! We were definitely busy, but it was worth it, and this will be a Christmas season that will always be remembered and treasured. I have decided to post the actual Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in a separate post, so no worries, they're coming! We hope that you have all enjoyed your December as much as we have. Love to you!

Getting ready for the annual Cookie Exchange.

The first picture is of Catherine in 2010. The second picture is of Isabella in 2008. Grandma Becky bought this super cute dress for Isabella, and I was so happy to get a picture of Catherine in the dress as well!

The Classic (okay, Ugly) Christmas Sweater Party! I think if Anthony had a "Christmassy" turtle neck, he would have won, hands down!

There are two ways to paint Christmas pictures: Isabella's Way...
...and Catherine's Way! Don't worry...we were painting with Sweet and Condensed Milk and food coloring. Non-toxic!

Isabella's very first Preschool performance. She did great, and didn't even freak out when Santa showed up! Preschool has been VERY good for Isabella.

Making another batch of cookies. This time for the neighbors! Our kitchen saw a lot of baking action this year!

Super fun Christmas jammies from Aunt Betty! Love them!

The Boys.
We were so blessed to have Anthony's "old" friends come over for dinner. Tyler was definitely missed, but a good time was had by all!

Halloween Part Three

On Halloween Night, we went over to Kyle and Emily's house for our Sunday Night Small Group and Light the Night Outreach. After a tasty pot-luck dinner and group discussion, we headed outside. The boys set up the Bounce House and the ladies cooked up the apple cider. The kids just ran around in circles, pumped up on candy and excitement!

The Outreach was a huge success and a lot of fun! We had bags of candy to give to the kids and the apple cider we offered to the parents. Although it was a beautiful night, it was still a little chilly, and the adults seemed super excited that we had a little treat for them as well! We all loved being outside and having the opportunity to hang out with the community! I wouldn't be surprised at all if we made this an annual tradition! A good time was had by all! It was also fun that we were in our old neighborhood, so we had the opportunity to visit with some of our old neighbors. It's amazing how much the kids have grown in just 7 months.

PHILLY

As you can see, Anthony and I had a wonderful time in Philadelphia! We were able to take in most of the historical sights during our Phamily & Phriends Phriday Philly Phun Day that Ryan and Sarah graciously hosted for about 40 of us! The highlight for us was definitely touring Independence Hall. Knowing that we were in the same building where the Declaration of Independence, The Article of Confederation, and the Constitution were all debated and signed!!! We stood in the same place that George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, John Hancock, etc.... all spent countless hours! It was amazing!

When in Philly, you do as the locals do...so...we grabbed a Cheesesteak at Pat's. Two Wiz Wit!

We rode the subway like pros and also took the commuter train into the city from King of Prussia where we stayed.

On Saturday, Anthony and I were able to drive the 5 minutes from our hotel to Valley Forge. Although no battles were ever fought here, many Patriots died from the cold and disease. Again, the history of this place was incredible!

Saturday evening we spent at Sarah's parent's house which is north of the city in the "woods"! It not only beautiful, but the peace and quiet was a nice change from the hustle and bustle of Philly!

Sunday was the wedding, and it was great! Both of us had such a wonderful time, and although we missed Isabella, it felt so good to get out of town.

Thanks again, Sarah and Ryan, for a wonderful time!

McDonalds Playdate Gone Bad

Very, very bad.

If you've ever wondered what McDonalds, a police officer, and an ambulance have in common, head over to Raising Chickies to see how my girlfriends and I spent our lunchtime yesterday!


We're still in shock!

Popsicle Pilferage

Anthony calls from the kitchen, "Do you want a Bomb Pop?" Unaware that we even had Bomb Pops in the freezer, I happily accepted his offer! As soon as I put the treasured pop to my lips, Isabella comes right on over. She's a sneaky one.
She pretends that she wants to snuggle. She acts like she just wants to cuddle. Then she goes in for the lick. I have to admit, the surprise on her face when she realized that the popsicle was icy cold was priceless! Although we had fun sharing MY
popsicle, I'm not sure I'm ready
for this to be a habit. She seems to have a thing for popsicles... But, who can blame her? They are such a tasty treat on a hot day. Anthony and Isabella will be sitting pretty eating Otter Pops next summer!