The Sheppard Family - Our Story

DAVIS' 5TH BIRTHDAY AT LAMBEAU FIELD - 10/16/11

2011-12-27T19:01:00.000-08:00

When asked if he would rather have a birthday party or go see the Packers & Rams play at Lambeau Field our smart almost 5 year old chose the football game.

Here he is in both Packer gear and Craig's jersey before the game.

Brady, Amber, Marques, and Stacy joined us --- so fun!

Taking in Lambeau Field..

Excited to see Craig on the field. He is using JK hand signals here he told me.

Craig..

2011-12-27T18:53:00.000-08:00

Diana with Uncle Brady and Amber --- it was her first time at Lambeau too!

Michael's friend from college trying to start the wave (there is a funny story that goes along with this that we will never forget--ha!)

Go Packers! Go Rams! Davis was able to cheer for both teams -- what more could you ask for?

There he goes with those JK hand signals again.

Craig giving Diana his wristbands after the game.

2011-12-27T18:48:00.000-08:00

Craig giving Davis the waist towel he wore during the game.

Davis was so happy to see Craig --- this is so sweet.

Craig's family and our crew. Everyone sang Happy Birthday to Davis!

Saying goodbye.

DAVS CELEBRATES 5 AT UNCLE PAT'S HOUSE - 10/15/11

2011-12-27T17:55:00.000-08:00

Davis turned 5 in October. Two days before his birthday he celebrated with Uncle Pat and Aunt Katie with a little cake they bought him (per Davis' request) He wanted to blow out "a lot of different cakes" this year!

Of course Miss Diana was right by his side

We then hurried home to get to sleep as we were going to a very special place in the morning --- Lambeau Field!

BUMPA TURNED 60! - OCTOBER 2011

2011-12-22T10:45:00.000-08:00

We spent the weekend of my Dad's birthday at my parent's house so the kids could celebrate with him. They love Bumpa sooo much!

Diana also had to fill her nature bag for school this weekend. She was happy to fill it in D@arlington with help from Bumpa and Grammy!

Holding her bag when she was all done.

OUR ANNUAL FOOTBALL GAME WITH UNCLE PAT-PAT

2011-12-22T10:28:00.000-08:00

For the fifth year in a row, we have went to support our wonderful Uncle PatPat at one of his football games. Candy and "front row" seats - all set to go!

Brooklyn loved Uncle Pat too! Davis is too cool to take this picture I guess -- look at that face.

Posing with his popcorn...

Davis got to go with to take the video camera down with "Coach Pat". He has reminded me 100 times since then how important that was.

Ready for bed...

BALLET - SEPTEMBER 2011

2011-12-22T10:18:00.000-08:00

Diana started ballet with her friend Brooklyn in September. She was very excited! There are so many great places that teach ballet here in Milw@ukee and even our local rec. department offers a great class. We decided to drive Diana into the city so she could have experience with a more diverse group of children. I don't think she realizes or cares for that matter but we love where she goes and she always looks forward to going. Excuse my photo through the one-way glass -- that's as good as it gets.

RAMS GAME - 9/11/11

2011-12-22T10:12:00.000-08:00

We went to the Rams games with the kids on September 11th. What a fun memory for them and us. These two are so lucky thanks to our friend Cr@ig. I don't think they truly understand how special it is that at ages 4 and 3 they had both been to several NFL games already.

Davis holding the flags up during the Star Spangled Banner. He is very proud of the USA!

My handsome husband and of course more flag holding by Davis.

Field sized flag in remembrance of Sept. 11th

Showing some muscles. The kids asked us on the way home if Craig is a giant or a man -- haha! Apparently, they think he is "way bigger than Daddy!"

Running out to the field after the game...

2011-12-22T10:07:00.000-08:00

Miss Diana running on the field - so exciting!

Can you spot Davis in this picture?

Loving Diana's happy smile in this photo. She was so little the last time we were here; this time she got to join in on the field and was beyond excited!

Signing autographs -- of course our kids that this was AMAZING!

2011-12-22T09:59:00.000-08:00

Of course we had to see the Arch before we left for home, it was within walking distance of our hotel.

Davis most recent interest in in super heroes. Of course he was happy to run into "Super Man" on the streets of St. Louis. I'm pretty sure Super man was homeless and this was his creative way to make some money. Davis took the photo and then asked him if he was going to fly away at which point Super Man ran down the street as fast as he could. Davis decided he might not be the "real" Super Man.

WILDC@T WEDNESDAY - SEPTEMBER 2011

2011-12-22T09:33:00.000-08:00

Once a month the kids wear school colors on Wildc@t Wednesday. The first one of this year was special for two reasons. #1 - Diana got to join in with Davis for the first time. They were BOTH excited about this so of course pictures were in order. #2 was that Diana is wearing a shirt that was handed down to her by a girl who was in Davis' PK class last year. This made her feel so special and we are already planning which PK girl we will hand this down to next year. So fun!

Cell phone pic per Davis' request --- this was his favorite photo of the morning.

BREWER GAME - AUGUST 2011

2011-12-22T09:23:00.000-08:00

Once again, I am incredibly behind on my blogging. The last 4 months have been so busy and so fun. I need to catch up before the year is over!

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL - 8/24/11

2011-10-01T09:16:00.000-07:00

I know every Mom looks at first day of school pictures and gets emotional. I am no exception. This is probably one of my favorite pictures ever. So thankful for these two...

Davis wanted to carry Diana into school. They are so happy to be together at the same school this year!

Happy to be re-united with the tire swing!

Posing by the lockers - if you look closely she has stitches on her left eye! Yes my child had to get stitches two days before the first day of school - go figure right?! She and Davis bumped into each other while running and his forehead must have caught her eyelid just right. It was no fun getting the stitches but Diana sure was proud to show her classmates on the first day!!

My last glance before leaving - talking to Mrs. Keppler and who she now calls her "buddy". They were playing with the marbles together.

JK ORIENTATION - DAVIS....8/11

2011-10-01T09:01:00.000-07:00

Davis is a "big JKer" this year. Orientation and the first day of school have been some of the only days I have been in his classroom. He wants to do everything on his own and even made a sign that he carried in his bag that said "NO MOMS PLEASE!". I have no complaints on this at all - it's nice to see the independence. It helps that I still get to hang out in the PK room with Diana a bit - although not as much as I did with Davis.

The JK Poster...

Sitting in the JK Locker...

Professional goofball - look at that face! Apparently, he was posing for some other Moms camera not mine!

Davis' new nickname this year is "JK Prince". We have a good morning song we sing to the kids about the PK Princess and the JK Prince compliments of Daddy...

DIANA - PK ORIENTATION...8/11

2011-10-01T08:19:00.000-07:00

Diana has been waiting for this day for a long time. This was the first time she went into Mrs. Keppler's room that it was "her room" not her brother's. She was so excited she wanted to wear her "wedding dress, wedding flower and had Miss Tasha painted her fingernails and toenails. We were so excited for her - Davis included.

The PK Poster...

Sitting in her locker - she is in locker #17. She even remembered who had the locker last year - Nate! I'm still not sure how she remembered but I think it helped that he was the last locker on the end.

Checking out the housekeeping corner like it's the first time. I will tell you a secret - I have had to drag Diana out of this area many times crying while dropping her brother off last year!

Our "PK Princess" as Daddy calls her...

Checking out the other posters in the hallway and of course Davis had to "chat it up" with Mrs. Landgraf. God bless her - she is so patient!!

If anyone who reads my blog (which basically includes Grammy and family - haha!) is interested in looking back on Davis' orientation last year click here - 2010 orientation.

Here's to a great year for the PK Princess! We are so excited for her!

GOODBYE MNIK@NI - WE WILL MISS YOU!!

2011-10-01T07:53:00.000-07:00

I'm not quite sure who loves this place more - me or my children. I have loved driving here each week for the last year. It really is a magical place for the kids and an educational yet "authentic" place to just be a kid. If I could sign myself up for camp, I would!

2011-10-01T07:50:00.000-07:00

PIRATE DAY - LAST DAY OF CAMP

2011-10-01T07:32:00.000-07:00

The last day of Camp was "Pirate Day". We have many photos in this very same spot so we had to take one more before camp was over.

Best buddies...

Diana loves her big brother...

Davis with two of the "big kid" camp teachers he spent the afternoon with - Mr. Will and Miss Morgan. These teachers were so fun and full of energy. Davis went swimming every afternoon. He also went on hikes, played games outside, went to the star lab, sang, read stories, and painted on the craft porch. He had SUCH A GREAT TIME!!

Some of Diana's afternoon group with Miss Heather...

This was the last photo we took before we left Robertson Lodge for the last time. This part of Camp is now closed and did not re-open this Fall. I wish I had a photo of Diana's entire group - this is still a precious photo with her "summer friends".

SUMMER CAMP THROUGH CHURCH....AUGUST 2011

2011-09-25T13:29:00.000-07:00

Our church had a summer camp for children ages 5 and up this year. While Davis and Diana were not old enough to attend, we did go and watch the play, dance, and various performances that the students put together during their week at camp. Tasha and Michele helped with the camp so we wanted to go and support them too!

Here are the kids with a boy that was in the church play with Davis and Michael this past spring...

Below is the dance the children put together in only 4 days - many of them have never danced prior to this. They did GREAT!!! D&d had their eyes glued to the stage the entire time. So fun!

SAVE TINKER BELL!!....8/10/11

2011-09-25T13:15:00.000-07:00

This past summer was wonderful. Davis and Diana at ages 3 and 4 really enjoyed playing together and I loved watching them enjoy their time together. They both have equally vivid imaginations so it was fun to watch all the games they made up. While they had two days per week where they attended a structured summer camp, the other 3 days of the week were spent playing, creating, and being kids. Best of both worlds in my opinion!

Here they are saving Tinker Bell from the sharks.

First off Diana was more than happy to toss Tinker Bell out to the sharks...

Then of course the dramatics begin - "oh no, save her Davis!"

Here is Tinker Bell about to be eaten by sharks...

Even though Davis is afraid he swims out to get her. Diana is cheering him on the whole time and informing him how close the sharks are...

Back to safety - little sister pulls big brother in to save him from the sharks!

Did I mention how glad I am that these two enjoy playing together?

PLAYING AT PRACTICE ....8/6/11

2011-09-25T13:05:00.000-07:00

Playing at football practice while Daddy helped Uncle Pat coach....

TIME TO BE A KID....AUGUST 2011

2011-09-25T12:57:00.000-07:00

Pretending to be a Super Hero with Daddy's shirt...

Pushing an imaginary friend on the swing...

"Underduck" time - telling the friend to hold on!!

A CREATIVE AFTERNOON.....7/29/11

2011-09-25T12:47:00.000-07:00

AMY AND CHARLIE'S WEDDING....7/23/11

2011-09-25T12:39:00.000-07:00

GOLD BELT TESTING - JULY 2011

2011-09-25T12:12:00.000-07:00

Davis tested for and received his gold belt in July. He was a bit nervous but did a great job! He was so proud to get his gold belt. He was invited to test several times over the past few months but we decided to wait until we saw good behavior consistently which can be tricky when you are four.

Video from testing day...

The day he received his gold belt...

Bowing to the class...

Waving at Mom and Dad - he was really proud!!

SOCCER - SUMMER 2011

2011-09-25T11:55:00.000-07:00

ZOO DAY - GOODBYE TO THE MOSS FAMILY...JULY 2011

2011-09-25T08:32:00.000-07:00

We had a fun zoo day with two of Diana's friends from pre-school and Laila and Makai. This was the last day we spent with them before they moved out of state. We were sad to see them go :-(

These 3 little ladies are so cute together...

Davis and Makai matched...

So sweet...

One last train ride...

Watching Laila climb...

GOOFY BATHTIME ARTISTS - JULY 2011

2011-09-25T08:17:00.000-07:00

ALEX@NDER'S B-DAY PARTY - 7/11

2011-09-24T15:53:00.000-07:00

A group photo of four year olds is pretty comical in my opinion - so cute! One of Davis classmates turned 5 this summer. He was the first one to turn 5 so Davis thought it was so exciting. He is looking forward to turning 5 in October!

SLIP N SLIDE - 7/11

2011-09-24T15:45:00.000-07:00

Gwen bought the kids a slip n slide to keep at her house. They had tons of fun over there this summer. Between the slip and slide and the new deck they loved going over there with Gwen and Aunt Karen.

Don't worry Michael was not seriously injured when his children decided to attack him....

Poor Michael he was just playing dead at this point...

TKD PICS - 7/8/11

2011-09-24T15:37:00.000-07:00

Someone decided to be brave and join in with big brother...

SUMMERTIME - JULY 2011

2011-09-24T15:25:00.000-07:00

Splashing in the water, blowing bubbles, and spending the day with Brooklyn. Such a fun summer day...

FOURTH OF JULY 2011

2011-09-24T15:03:00.000-07:00

We went to the Fourth of July Parade with Gwen, Aunt Karen, Therese, and Shalom.

Shalom was here from Ohio. Davis loves him.

Diana waved her flag for the entire parade.

The lady on stilts was a big hit...

Diana was mesmerized by the police officers and fire fighters...

The whole group...

PARTY WITH THE JACKSONS...7/2/11

2011-09-24T14:43:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Arcelya's second birthday and the Fourth of July with the Jackson Family. Such a fun party!

FUN WITH DADDY - 7/1/11

2011-09-24T14:34:00.000-07:00

I have learned over my nearly 5 years of being a parent (it feels more like 50) that if I would like a moment to myself to use the bathroom, blow dry my hair, get dressed, etc. that I have to give my children something to do. They may get bored in the 5 minutes I am taking care of myself you know! So, while getting ready to spend the day with my Mom (Michael had the day off work) I told Davis to write a list of everything he wanted to do with Daddy that day. 60 seconds later he runs into our bathroom with this sheet of paper...

If you can't read it - it says "FUN" in bubble letters. How sweet that days with Daddy are described in one simple word "fun"!

INCREDIBLE DAVIS - 6/11

2011-09-24T14:29:00.000-07:00

Apparently, Davis was trying to look like the Incredible Hulk. I was thankful he only decided to turn his hands green with his interesting creation. I don't even remember now what that was on his hands!!

This child has been a professional mess-maker since birth - I don't think that will ever change. Luckily, Diana likes to stay pretty clean and keep things neat!

PLAY DAY WITH M@X AND GR@CE - 6/29/11

2011-09-24T14:19:00.000-07:00

We had such a fun play day with some new friends we met at the park this summer. Davis loved playing with Max since that is the name of the main character in his favorite book! Davis loves playing with older kids so he was happy to find a buddy who was older than him.

Mommy was even more happy that the "older buddy" had a younger sister only 3 months older than Diana. They are so cute together.....

The boys going through all their nature finds...

Max showing Davis his secret hide-out at the park...

Max read "Where the Wild Things Are" inside the fort. Of course Davis thought that was the best - I caught a picture of them coming out. I, of course, did not enter the "secret" hide out!

CAMP MINIK@NI - JUNE 2011

2011-09-24T14:00:00.000-07:00

Camp Minik@ni is one of my favorite places. D&d spent two days per week here this past summer and they had such a memorable time.

First day of Summer Adventure - they were so happy they could go together!

Even walking in to camp each morning was fun!

Big brother leading little sister...

Hop-skotch!!

BOYS ONLY....6/13/11

2011-09-24T13:46:00.000-07:00

Why are these photos significant to me? They mark the first time I really saw Davis tell Diana that this was a "boys only" game. Davis decided that when he is playing with the 6 year old twins in our neighborhood that Diana needs to stay in the house. Of course, she was not happy about this.

Thats ok though we girls embarrassed him by taking photos of him playing his "boys only" game...

ALEXANDRA'S GAME.....6/11/11

2011-09-24T13:39:00.000-07:00

LAST DAY OF PK...6/8/11

2011-09-24T13:31:00.000-07:00

NIGHT WITH THE NEIGHBORS...6/5/11

2011-07-29T18:42:00.000-07:00

Our neighbors had a new baby (their third) so we offered to take the older two out with us for the evening. Davis wanted to show Laila & Makai the special park he had went to for his field trip. Davis adores Laila - you can tell by his expression...

Laila is a mother hen - watching out for all three kiddos..

Michael showing Makai the water...

Davis and all his classmates looked for seaglass on his field trip but didn't find any. Laila found a piece for him - he was in awe!

We ended the night with a trip to Culvers - ice cream makes for some very happy kids.

FATHER/SON CAMPING TRIP - 6/4/11

2011-07-29T17:24:00.000-07:00

Davis and Michael had the opportunity to go on an overnight camping trip with a group of Dads and their children that they do annually to celebrate the end of school. This was such a great experience for Davis. They stayed at a Sportman Club about an hour from our house. Michael did a great job documenting the trip in photos for me - you know he was given strict instruction before he left!

Getting ready to go - Miss Diana cried for a bit after the boys left without her!

The sleeping arrangements..

Watching the big boys fish..

Davis was so proud to share his snacks with all the big boys..

Doing his "explorer face" at the vineyard they rode to on the ATV's.

MORE CAMPING

2011-07-29T17:17:00.000-07:00

Davis got to ride an ATV. Based on all the stories he told me, this was his favorite "new thing" that he got to try.

Posing at the vineyard..

Look at that face in reaction to the noise at the shooting range - I was very proud that Michael made Davis wear earplugs. This little girl was the same age as Davis. Michael sad they had lots of fun together.

Picking up the shells...

Michael's not afraid to try anything. I think he has shot clays once before so technically this was his second time.

REAL MEN...

2011-07-29T17:00:00.000-07:00

...help brush teeth!! Michael is usually up early and out the door before the kids even wake up. On this particular day, he was running late and the kids woke up before he left. Instead of rushing out the door, Michael helped the kids brush their teeth which made me so very happy. Anyone who does the morning routine on their own with little ones each day (we have to be ready and out the door at 7:30) knows how nice it is to have just a little bit of help. I love you Michael because you brush the kids teeth - no gifts necessary for this girl. Obviously, I was very happy - I grabbed the camera- ha!

DAVIS' PK FIELD TRIP - 6/2/11

2011-07-29T16:48:00.000-07:00

Davis and his PK class had an end of year field trip to wrap up the school year. They all got to ride the "big kid" bus which was so EXCITING for Davis. Here is Mr. Davis getting off the bus and scanning the crowd to find Michael and I. I caught his face when he saw me. This was his big moment - getting of the bus!! His sweet and "oh so patient" teacher Mrs. K helped all the children as they each had their special moment.

We then hiked down to Lake Michigan to collect rocks along the shore.

We love when Daddy takes a break from work to spend special days like this with us. This picture made it all worth it!

Throwing rocks in the water..

Davis and one of his classmates. These two met the summer before school started at another camp. I was surprised on the first day of school to see her walking into the same classroom as Davis.

MORE FIELD TRIP

2011-07-29T16:28:00.000-07:00

Davis with one of his wonderful teachers. Mrs. L listened to Davis sing many of his favorite songs daily with a smile on her face. He really loved her.

Davis with Mom & Dad- he said he was "super, super, really, really happy!"

We had no idea he was sticking his tongue out until we saw the photo later. Typical Davis Mr. Jokester.

Walking back up to the park/picnic area with Daddy.

The field trip ended with a picnic and all the PK children getting in a big circle to sing songs - most notably - "PK Rocks!"

TRIP TO THE BOLDENS - MEMORIAL DAY 2011

2011-07-09T18:37:00.000-07:00

We went to see the Bolden's over Memorial Day weekend in Minnesota. We hadn't seen them since November. The kids always have such a fun time there.

Diana attending ballet with Madison.

Diana was excited that they danced to the "Bumble Bee" song - that was one of her favorites at school.

Posing after lunch by the lake - Davis is drinking apple juice from a Starbucks cup - he was too cool to pose with the girls...

Kenyatta and the girls..

We went to a party Sunday night at Clayton's. This is such a FUN group of kids. We really wish we could just move there. We always have a great time when we go and miss the Boldens as soon as we leave!

GOODBYE TO MINIK@NI - 5/26/11

2011-07-09T18:09:00.000-07:00

Sentimental me had to take a few photos at Diana's last day of school.

Her locker..

The message on the board..

Goodbye hug for Miss Karla...

Walking to the parking lot for the last time with her friend...

DIANA'S PRE-SCHOOL GRADUATION...5/24/11

2011-06-30T17:41:00.000-07:00

Little Miss Diana graduated from the Robin's Class at Minik@ni. She will be moving onto PK next year. I was very hesitant about sending Diana this year (she was 2 and a half when she started) but she did great even being the second youngest in the class. She always looked forward to her two mornings per week at school.

The morning started out with an apple juice toast at Starbucks in a real coffee cup.

Miss Karla helping with the graduation cap.

Mommy & Diana before the ceremony.

Walking down to Council Bluff to the graduation song. I caught this photo when Diana found where we were sitting. She's peaking out from under her hat & tassle.

The whole class - look at my little Diana.

2011-06-30T17:35:00.000-07:00

Singing the song "You always start your letters at the top, top, top!"

Diana did not walk or run to get her diploma. She hopped the entire way there! The video I have of this is hilarious. She was so excited to get that diploma.

Shaking hands with her teachers - she was still bouncing up and down full of smiles and excitement.

The Robins Class graduate - on to 3K!

The after party - chatting with a friend, eating ice cream, and hanging out with Daddy. It's alway special when Daddy's there.

WHERE DID MICHAEL SPEND HIS 30TH? - 5/20/11

2011-06-30T12:54:00.000-07:00

In PK of course...

Davis was so proud to have his Dad visit his class on his day off from work - he even made Daddy a birthday crown that said "30".

The day was lots of fun including monkey bar time...

...and of course gym class.

After school we got to stop and see Aunt Virda (Michael's sister) who was in town for work. Michael is still waiting for her to buy him a Harley!

Davis and Diana love their Aunt Virda..

MOTHER'S DAY AT THE ZOO - 5/8/11

2011-06-30T12:49:00.000-07:00

I was able to spend Mother's Day with the people I love the most - my husband, my children, and my parents. Every single one of these photos brings a HUGE smile to my face. What a great day!

MOTHER'S DAY AT SCHOOL - 5/5/11

2011-06-30T12:33:00.000-07:00

Davis had a wonderful Mother's Day Celebration at school. His teachers put a ton of planning into the day - it was very special. All the kids sang songs including the M-O-M song. I have been hearing it daily since May :-) Davis and his classmates made and painted all these clay pieces so we could make a wind chime together. He was very proud..

We cannot escape without the goofy face - it's a big part of our househould right now - being goofy that is.

Davis also did a drawing and had a few words to say about me. Per Davis - "Well my Mom, she plays with me! We play cards and games and sometimes she lets me play in her bedroom! In the morning when she drives me to school we listen to the radio. We like K-Love! Allison plays on K-Love and we sing the words! My Mom is pretty because she has earrings. I like her blue eyes. Sometimes she wears dresses when we go to church or when she goes out on a date with my Dad. I like when she wears dresses! When we don't have school we go to Minnesota and go to Madison's and Grammy's house. Sometimes we go to the waterpark and sometimes we go to the libary and sometimes we go to Generations at Play. My Mom is the best..I just love her so much!!

Some behind the scenes preparation shots...

Planting a flower for Mommy..

Painting a picture of Mommy...

MOTHER'S DAY WEEKEND...5/7/11

2011-06-30T12:13:00.001-07:00

Grammy & Bumpa stayed in a hotel near our home over Mother's Day weekend. We surprised Grammy with cards and balloons from all of us in her room before she checked in. Within minutes of getting there, my kids had their suits on and were ready to venture down to the pool.

You can tell how much they love Grammy. Diana is picking up on all her brother's new goofy faces. We live with two comedians in this house. The latest joke around here..."Why did the bee go to the doctor?"...."Because he had hives!!!"

The pool has a special kids area - pure happiness...

Swimming in the big pool with Daddy..

Carefully checking everything out..

2011-06-30T12:06:00.000-07:00

Diana giving her Daddy her "sweet" look - this pretty much gets her whatever she wants. When you see the her chin approaching her shoulder and her eyes start fluttering it's all over..

Yep, this is normal stuff with Michael and the kids - they are both going to grow up to be professional stunt people..

My children also figured out that if you blocked one of the spraying fountains with your foot the other one would get really, really big - again only my children would feel the need to do this - too smart for their own good. Diana is amazed in this photo..

And of course, Davis found another boy to be goofy with. Not sure what they were doing but lots of laughing was involved.

FATHER DAUGHTER DANCE - 5/6/11

2011-06-30T11:57:00.000-07:00

Diana attended her second father-daughter dance this year. It is held each year on the Friday before Mother's Day. She was so excited for the big night with her Dad.

Of course Davis had to drop her off to meet Daddy matching tie and all. Davis and I went to visit my friend Crystal and also had a mother/son Toys R Us adventure. He got a car wash that makes the cars change different colors - very exciting stuff!

Her beautiful flower...

Such a nice picture of my husband even if the kids are excited about something elsewhere. What is the optimal age for photographing children exactly??

Getting on the elevator to go upstairs...

Picture time with Daddy - after this Davis & I left for the night.

2011-06-30T11:51:00.000-07:00

Popcorn and apple juice in fancy cups with straws...

Heading out to the dance floor - go Diana!

This picture is so Diana - swinging her arms and dancing with full confidence right in the front of the room..

Diana and her friend Shannon discussing dessert options..

The party is really going now - Diana loved dancing with Shannon and Ana Maria. She also saw a few girls there from last year. I hope she remembers this for years to come.

BROOKLYN'S THIRD BIRTHDAY PARTY...5/1/11

2011-06-30T11:37:00.000-07:00

Brooklyn, fondly referred to as Diana as "my sister", had a bowling birthday party to celebrate turning 3. It was lots of fun and my kids are turning into quite the bowlers!

Brooklyn greeting Davis...

Diana running to her Daddy after her turn of bowling - she loves to jump up on him.

The two little sweethearts getting their bowling balls..

My two goofballs - apparently they get sick of me taking photos for some reason...

Davis bowling while Daddy cheers him on...

2011-06-30T11:31:00.000-07:00

Singing Happy Birthday - of course Diana is clapping with excitement and Davis made his own megaphone to amplify his singing!

My beautiful little lady eyeing up the cupcakes...

Diana was first in line to help "her sister", as she calls her, open up her presents. She got her a book called "Sisters"...

Diana saying goodbye to Brooklyn who is now a big 3 year old too!!

Posing on our way out - love doesn't describe how I feel about these two. No words do - they are such a blessing in every way!

MOMMY GAVE IN....4/28/11

2011-06-30T11:14:00.000-07:00

Diana's best friend Brooklyn loves getting her nails done. Although I'm not a big fan of nail salons, I did give in and let Diana go with Brooklyn for Brooklyn's 3rd birthday. For $5, Diana was able to have her nails painted "sparkly purple" and she was so excited. I told her she can go once a year - ha!! The woman painting her nails asked me which country Diana was from - she was sure I had adopted her from some foreign country!

Purple sparkles!!

Staying very still...

Just relaxing and watching TV while she gets her nails done..

CHURCH PLAY...4/26/11

2011-06-30T11:07:00.000-07:00

Michael & Davis were in a play at our church done by the youth ministry called "Believe in the Power of Miracles". They spent several Saturday mornings practicing with the children and had a great time. Michael played the Dad and Davis played the sick cousin. He even got to film part of his role in a real doctor's office. He was pretty proud to see himself up on the big screen and loved standing up in front of the crowd to take a bow at the end of the play.

Davis posing with one of the "stars" of the show.

Daddy on the big screen during the performance..

Daddy & Miss Tasha during the play..

EASTER 2011

2011-06-18T13:49:00.000-07:00

This was the best photo I could get of the kids in their Easter clothes before church...

We definitely have two little jokesters on our hands lately...

We had our family Easter at my Uncle Pat's this year - these two look like "secret service" in this photo. They were not playing around during the egg hunt.

Pausing for a moment to strategize..

MORE EASTER...

2011-06-18T13:42:00.000-07:00

Davis, look how many I have! Wow Diana!

Notice the self-placed tie - looking good Davis

Showing Great-Grandma her candy...

This is another source of my children's curly hair - my Mom and her siblings. Look at all that curly hair!! Grammy is the second one from the right.

Playing with Alexandra and her friends after the Easter Egg Hunt...

GOING TO THE MOVIES...4/22/11

2011-06-18T13:22:00.001-07:00

We went to the Earth Day movie Afric@n Cats with Michelle, Brooklyn, and Aunt Karen. You never know how a trip to the movies will go with two 3 year olds and a four year old but they all did pretty well. Have I ever mentioned how much work it is to do fun things with small children. It's exhausting but always worth it!!! My kids have had enough junk food in this photo to last a month or two. They have been asking to go back to the movies and eat "dinner" there ever since.

Davis is looking forward to this...

DIANA'S EASTER EGG HUNT - 4/21/11

2011-06-18T13:08:00.000-07:00

Diana's pre-school had a little Easter Egg Hunt the week before Easter. It made me smile when I came for pick-up to see this outside..

Easter eggs waiting for the little ones to come out and find them!

Diana was super focused. They were only supposed to find 5 eggs so everyone got the same amount. Miss Diana found her 5 and then started helping everyone else. She is a sweetheart.

Putting the eggs in her cute little bunny bag that she made..

Blowing bubbles after school - Diana and I went for a hike before we went home.

Singing and talking to herself - she is always making up pretend stories with made up names like Gildy, Mildy, and Fildy!! So interesting to hear what she will come up with next...

I had a great "MOM" moment this day thinking how nice it is not have to rush my kids. Unfortunately, being on time and keeping on a schedule is something we have to do, but I think it's important to enjoy the times with your kids when you DON'T have to rush. I love Miss Diana so much and am so thankful for all of our Mother-Daughter Nature walks after school.

FUN HEALTHY SNACK...4/11

2011-06-18T08:13:00.000-07:00

Davis took a fun healthy snack for his class in April. Because it was almost Earth Day, we were sure to send recycled napkins for the children to use. The ladybug on a stick was a big hit - especially since the dots were mini chocolate chips. Many of the kids tried the hummus dip which made me happy. Davis was proud to send each of his friends home with the little flower pot. So fun!!

ZOOTASTIC - 4/1/11

2011-06-18T08:03:00.000-07:00

Even though it was raining a bit, we still had so much fun at Zootastic. It was a great night spent together as a family. It was nice to enjoy the zoo after hours with such a small crowd.

Greeting the peacock..

Following the peacock while trying to imitate his walk...

Diana learning about the "Diana Monkey"

Dancing with Daddy...

We also ate dinner, made arts and crafts, and got to talk with many of the zookeepers. Davis and Diana learned the difference between a monkey and an ape. Monkeys have tails and Apes don't!!

MORE ZOOTASTIC...

2011-06-18T07:58:00.000-07:00

The confetti was a big hit...

Both of the kids collected tons of confetti in the zoo backpacks they were given. Of course I wanted them to bring as much home as possible to throw all over the house :-)

The sundae bar - every kids dream...

Davis enjoying his ice cream while watching everyone's silly dance moves...

The picture they took when we arrived at Zootastic...

DAVIS CREATIONS....MARCH 2011

2011-06-18T07:20:00.001-07:00

Davis is always planning out projects he can complete. He usually tells me what materials he needs and I let him get to work. It oftens leads to a mess but I remind myself it will only take a minute or two to clean up. Here are just two of the interesting "things" he came up with on his own..

I helped him draw the letters in his name. He then cut them out, three hole punched them and strung them on a string to hang in his room..

This is a "salt and pepper glue stick". This was something he created while I was putting laundry in. He told me he wanted to see if you could glue salt and pepper to paper. Very interesting (lol)

FIRST TRIP TO THE DENTIST...3/28/11

2011-06-18T07:05:00.000-07:00

Our first trip to the dentist was a successful one. I was a little late on taking Davis (our pediatrician recommends going when they turn 3) and some people even go when the teeth start to erupt. My Mommy insticts told me everyone's teeth were fine so I went the slacker route and waited until Diana turned 3 so they could share the experience together.

It helped Diana to watch Davis go first...

She was calm, cool, and collected when it was her turn...

We made it out with no crying, no fear, and NO CAVITIES!! Yeah!! Even after all the pacifier use Mr. Davis did in his younger years his bite was just fine. I am very thankful. He only used it to fall asleep each night but I was still worried about the effect.

Looking tough after his cleaning while waiting for the dentist to come in...

The kids even got to have their teeth cleaned in the outerspace room - they were excited about the aliens they found on the wall.

I have to note that my kids were very well behaved at the dentist office ( the promise of a prize will do that). However, it took about 10 seconds once we hit the parking lot for them to get into a disagreement over who was going to get in the car first. I am so used to stuff like this now I just laugh and let them deal with it. The brother/sister dynamics are in full force around here and I am sure they will be here to stay for years to come!

VISITING ALEXANDRA....3/25/11

2011-06-18T01:19:00.000-07:00

We also went to visit my aunt and uncle and my cousin Alexandra over Spring Break. The kids adore her and her dog Reggie.

Alexandra's friend came over to meet the kids and they had lots of fun playing outside.

Alexandra made sure they had a fun day..

Davis got to chase the mail truck (the high point of his day)

and both the kids got to blow the bubbles Alexandra bought for them.

OUR YEARLY VISIT TO PAT'S CLASS...3/24/11

2011-06-18T01:03:00.000-07:00

We visited Uncle PatPat's classroom over Spring Break. Davis & Diana feel so grown up when they get to do this each year. Davis especially liked telling all the big kids that he goes to school now too.

Eating lunch with the cool teacher and the children that had earned a lunch with the teacher that day - what an honor :-)

Posing with the class - such a diverse group of children. I thought that was great and not something you always see. It's always a great experience for my kids to be around many different people. I am glad Uncle Pat gives us another opportunity to do so. Look at D&D in the front row...

Playing a game with the big kids..

Watching the students play a math game - as you can see Diana found a friend..

Diana showing the students that she holds her pencil the right way - she is so proud of her writing...

Our visit ended in the auditorium where we got to watch a xylophone concert. My kiddos were amazed and throughly entertained. Mommy was especially impressed that for $0 my kids had a blast!! Thanks Uncle PatPat!!

BIRDHOUSE NIGHT - 2/24/11

2011-06-18T00:53:00.000-07:00

Michael and I attended Birdhouse Night with Davis this past winter to help paint his birdhouse that would later be hung up on the playground in the spring. Davis enjoyed having Mom & Dad all to himself. It's hard to believe we will be doing this again with Diana this school year. Time is flying by - it makes me want to push pause...

Concentration face...

The finished product..

DIANA'S THREE YEAR OLD CHECK-UP - 2/21/11

2011-06-18T00:40:00.000-07:00

The famous photo with Nurse Lisa. Daddy was the photographer on this one - I'll let him take the credit for this photo. Mommy is a bit better on helping the people in the picture look at the camera.

Diana weighed in at 32.1 pounds and was 37.5 inches tall. I believe this was 60% for weight and 50% for height. Diana is so STRONG - she is all muscle and challenges her brother with all her muscles daily.

It was fun to look back on the blog to see how she compared to Davis at this check-up. She weighed over 1 pound less and was an inch shorter. Diana - we were very proud of you as well at your "big" 3 year old check-up. You did great in all your areas of development on your test (advanced - just like your big brother) and once again we were very thankful that you are so healthy. We were so proud of our big girl. 3 seems to be the age where the independence blossoms daily around here!!

WINTER PICTURES - FEBRUARY 2011

2011-06-18T00:20:00.000-07:00

We were very fortunate this year that Davis' teachers kept a blog with tons of pictures for us to see. Here are some of my favorite "fun in the snow" pictures.

I'm loving the happy face all squished up in the coat. He was making a snow angel. His teacher captured a great moment..

VALENTINES 2011

2011-06-18T00:12:00.000-07:00

After much thought, I've decided I am going to try to catch up on my blog. I have four months worth of fun stuff to journal/document for my children and I'm determined to get it all done. No more slacking!! So here we go...

Candids of Davis & Diana on Valentines...

All ready for their school parties. I volunteered for Davis' party and Daddy went to celebrate with Diana at her school..

Me and my Valentine...love him!!

PREPARING FOR VALENTINES - 2/14/11

2011-03-06T12:36:00.000-08:00

Both of the kids had their school parties the day after Valentines so we spent Valentines Day evening finishing up their Valentines. Davis made "High Five" cards with a glow in the dark bracelet attached. We actually traced his hand to glue on the hearts.

He glued on a dinosaur Valentine to hold the bracelet on and took the time to write out each of his classmates names on all 18 cards.

Diana glued her Tinker bell hearts onto construction paper hearts. Give that girl a glue stick and she is sooooo happy!

Michael and the kids bought me some flowers..

They had 3 hearts on them - one from each of my Valentines..

B'S 4TH BIRTHDAY - 2/12/11

2011-03-06T12:23:00.001-08:00

Davis attended a reptile birthday party with the reptile guy. Such a great learning experience built into a birthday party for a group of 4 year olds.

Davis petting the bullfrog.

How cool is this guy? Look at all the snakes!

The turtle..

My handsome little guy waiting to eat lunch..

DIANA'S BIRTHDAY DINNER - 2/12/11

2011-03-06T12:06:00.000-08:00

Diana had a fun birthday weekend. She went to Toys R Us on a little shopping spree with Grammy and Bumpa and went out for dinner with her family. She wore her owl shirt in honor of the owl she saw on her birthday.

Diana loves her Aunt Karen..

Gwen, Bumpa, Aunt Karen, Grammy, Uncle PatPat, Aunt Katie, Daddy & Davis...

PRINCESS CAKES - 2/11/11

2011-03-06T11:59:00.000-08:00

Diana had requested 3 princess cakes since she was turning 3. She was very surprised to see Tiana, Ariel, and Cinderella waiting for her after dinner. She is already discussing that she will have 4 cakes next year.

DIANA'S BIRTHDAY - 2/11/11

2011-03-06T11:52:00.000-08:00

The actual day of Diana's birthday was a simple and fun day. She was given lots of hugs in the morning by her big brother before we took him to school. She was excited to wear her "pretty coat" which is normally for special occasions.

I asked for a serious picture - this is what I got. I promise Davis wasn't really mad.

When Davis was done with school, we went to Gwen's to play outside and walked on the nature trail with Aunt Karen.

We were shocked to see an owl right outside the house in the middle of the day!! I have never seen an owl like this during the day and the kids were ecstatic! Davis has been studying nocturnal animals at school so this couldn't have happened at a better time.

DIANA'S LAST DAY BEING 2 - 2/10/11

2011-03-06T11:24:00.001-08:00

Diana spent her last day as a two year old at one of her favorite places with her "sister" Brooklyn. She painted a heart frame at Generations at Play for her Daddy..

Her cute "sister" Brooklyn..

Painting the heart that she glued on the frame...

On the way home, the kids noticed the sunset. They are sure that Grandpa Bear pushes the sun down out of the sky each morning for them from heaven. Davis & Diana thought the sunset was so pretty so I pulled over and took a picture. Diana was excited that the next time Grandpa Bear pushed the sun down it would be her birthday!

Reading a book with Daddy before she went to bed..

WHY DO WE BUY TOYS?

2011-03-06T10:40:00.001-08:00

This is yet another "why do I buy toys?" post. Davis was very happy that I let him go through the storage closet to find stuff to build a fort with. Here is the masterpiece...

"THE BLUE LIZARD" - 2/2/11

2011-03-05T19:10:00.000-08:00

We had a blizzard in early February that meant no school AND no work for Daddy. The blizzard was on it's way Tuesday evening and Tuesday afternoon I kept explaining to the kids that there was a blizzard on the way. We waited for Daddy to get home so we would all be safe. When Michael, walked in the door Diana ran up to him, hugged him tight, and said "Daddy I glad the BLUE LIZARD didn't get you!" This poor little girl had been thinking all day that a giant blue lizzard was coming to eat everyone.

Here we are outside the morning after the "blue lizard" invaded...

Excuse Davis' purple snowpants - he was in such a hurry to leave school on Tuesday that he left his snow pants at school.

Davis was teasing Diana that the blue lizard was still going to come - as you can see she was upset about that ...

He made up for scaring her by helping her climb over the big mountain...

BUDDY DAY - 1/29/11

2011-03-05T18:52:00.000-08:00

Davis had 3 of his buddies G, M, & M attend Taekwondo with him on a Saturday morning. Two of his buddies made it through the whole class while the third chose to watch. All 3 of the boys got to break boards. Davis was hype that he had 3 buddies there!

Davis & G posing..

Tough guys..

Davis & M hanging out after class..

G & M showcasing their broken boards...

Davis looking way too grown up..

C & J'S 3RD BIRTHDAY - 1/22/11

2011-03-05T18:44:00.000-08:00

Diana attended a party for twin boys in her class and was so excited to go WITHOUT Davis. They love to play together but when you and your brother are just over a year apart in age it sure is cool to go to parties without him.

Diana has such a sweet little face in this photo. If it seems as though she is always wearing the purple polka dot outfit, it's because she is!! She loves it so much I have to make sure it is always clean. Between that and her pink ruffle shirt she really doesn't need any other clothes - that's all she wants to wear. 3 years old - the age of making big decisions - like what to wear!!

Diana and her other two classmates that attended the party E and N. She and E share the same birthday but E is a year older. These are her two favorite friends at school.

TAEKWONDO - 1/17/11

2011-03-05T18:37:00.000-08:00

DIANA THE GYMNAST - JANUARY 2011

2011-03-05T18:30:00.000-08:00

Diana just started her second gymnastics class. If you remember, she was hit or miss in the fall class with whether or not she wanted to participate. Now she goes out on the floor without Mom or Dad and that has made a world of difference. She loves to go out on her own and has even made a friend named Julia. She and Julia constantly mimic one another and Julia announced the other day "Diana is my best friend!"

Here she is on the beam....

A NEW ADVENTURE - JANUARY 2011

2011-03-05T18:17:00.000-08:00

Davis started Taekwondo in January. Here he is on the day he went to get his uniform from Master Lee. He was very seriously waiting in the office for Master Lee to come back with the uniform. He was told that he had to stay still and quiet in order to receive the uniform.

Still waiting with a serious look on his face...

Master Lee showing us how to put the uniform on...

Davis bowing to his Mom (so cute and intense - look at those eyes!!)

Pil-sung!!

WINTER WONDERLAND - 1/11/11

2011-03-05T17:54:00.000-08:00

I love Diana's school - it's in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by nature, and very pretty. This is what you see when you pull in...

The kids go outside almost everyday which I love. I walked down the path to find this - two different classes meeting up to go sledding...

Diana and her friend E sledding while Miss Sarah waits at the bottom.

Loving the genuinely happy and excited expressions in this one...

Diana and her friend N, who she calls her "other brother". She was walking away grumpy because N threw some snow in her face. He was very sorry but Diana wasn't having it...

JAMESON'S 3RD BIRTHDAY - 1/8/11

2011-03-05T17:39:00.000-08:00

Jameson's bowling birthday party and Toy Story 3 cake were a big hit with D&D. They are birthday party professionals. We attend so many birthday parties and each one is always a good time. We were happy to celebrate with Jameson and family!!

Davis has graduated from bowling with the ramp - I mean he's been bowling for at least two years now so he's getting really good.

This is such a goofy photo but I had to share for Davis' future reference. When we were at the bowling alley, I kept thinking - I know I've been here before. Later it dawned on me that I had been there 5 years ago when we had first found out we were expecting Davis. I just happened to have a picture from that night. Yes, Michael's shirt says "It's Just Jokes". he is going to kill me for posting this.

CHRISTMAS DAY

2011-03-05T17:30:00.000-08:00

I really enjoyed Christmas this year and didn't take as many pictures as I usually do. I did get some photos of the kids holding my cousin's little girl. They loved the baby and are back to asking for us to have a new baby. They would like us to have a boy AND a girl and call them CoCo and JoJo.

CHRISTMAS EVE

2011-03-05T17:23:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve was spent at Grammy and Bumpa's house. I love going to my parent's house - it's so peaceful there. They are in the process of remodeling and we really loved all Grammy's new windows.

Alexandra got the kids pillow pets..

Diana showing her great-grandpa how to work the I-pad (this was so darn cute)

Santa brought Diana's doll house to Grammy and Bumpa's house. He even brought a boy doll for Davis. Davis wanted to pose by the house to show how tall it was.

AN EARLY VISIT FROM SANTA - 12/23/10

2011-03-05T17:10:00.000-08:00

We were going to be staying at Grammy's house on Christmas Eve so Santa made an early surprise visit to our house the night before we left.

Mr. Exited...

Santa brought an art desk for both of the kids and we simply put all their art supplies they already had in it. It was as if everything was new to them!!

Working with his blocks while Alvin looks on..

Diana wanted one thing only for Christmas - a mermaid costume. She was so happy Santa remembered her wish..

Diana telling Alvin the elf "thank you" for reporting all her good behavior to Santa..

After enjoying all the fun new gifts we packed the car and headed to Grammy's house!

ELF ON THE SHELF - DECEMBER 2010

2011-03-05T16:41:00.000-08:00

Davis and his classmates were invited to share some of their family traditions with their class in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Michael went to school and read "The Elf on the Shelf" book to the class and also left two elves behind to watch over the children to make sure they were behaving. Davis was so proud to have his Dad at school..

There were tons of fun traditions shared - grandparents reading a 50 year old copy of "The Night Before Christmas", Advent Calendars, making reindeer food, a German Advent pyramid, a visit from Saint Nicholas, decorating miniature Christmas trees, celebrating Three Kings Day, ornaments from the Philippines and even learning how one family makes meatballs for Santa...

I am so thankful Davis was able to celebrate Christmas traditions at school. It was a fun season around our house. Diana can't wait for her turn next year to bring her Dad to school!

ADDITIONS TO OUR TREE 2010

2011-03-05T15:56:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite memories was all of the hand-made Christmas ornaments that my Mom would hang on our tree. She still has them today! This was always so much more meaningful than a perfectly trimmed - magazine looking tree in my opinion. Some of the additions to our tree this year included...

A train made by Diana at school

Davis' hand-print made at school

A Christmas ornament from the Philippines given to Davis by a classmate who has family there (he was so proud of this!)

Rudolph (courtesy of Minikani Friday fun night)

BIG BROTHERS - LITTLE SISTERS - 12/19/10

2011-03-05T15:49:00.000-08:00

Cheri invited Davis, Marcus and their little sisters over to play and watch some Christmas movies. Marcus goes to school with Davis and also happens to know our friend Cheri - small world. The kids had so much fun at NieNie's house!

CRYSTAL'S 30TH - 12/18/10

2011-03-05T15:42:00.000-08:00

Crystal - my friend that has seen me through many phases in my life - turned 30 right before Christmas. Michael and I always love celebrating her birthday.

And for old times sake - Crystal, Raven and I five years ago at 25. I must say my choice of clothing has greatly changed - haha!

COOKIE HOUSE 2010 - 12/18/10

2011-02-06T14:10:00.001-08:00

Camp Minikani hosts a Cookie House each year before Christmas. We had a fun morning decorating our gingerbread house and visiting with Santa.

"There's Santa!!!"

Diana and Davis showing some Santa love..

Loving the kids faces in this photo...

Santa reading a story...