Sunny Daze

Sleepover Fun!

2009-07-19T12:10:00.005-04:00

Savannah and Myara had a sleepover with Nate and Izzy last night and it turned out to be just a blast! Since I was out with Bachelorette Festivities, that left Kevin large and in charge with the 4 kids. The result...LOADS of fun! They made muffins, played Go Fish and Twister, watched a couple of movies, and spent lots of time playing the Wii. When we woke up this morning we did some dance moves and began the clean up process (Mom's home-LAME). Here are some pics and a great video of Savannah getting into the Wii...

What a Fantastic Day!!

2009-07-16T21:03:00.004-04:00

We spent a wonderful day today kayaking in Tampa Bay. We were all excited for the trip, but our expectations were far exceeded! The weather was beautiful, although VERY hot...and not a spot of shade to be found-but it was worth it. As we paddled, the warm salt water would splash on our legs to cool us off. The scenery was amazing and we were so lucky to see lots of birds, stingrays, some iguanas, and were even joined by about 5 dolphins that swam all around our boats. The kids did a great job and loved it when we took the opportunity in some shallow water to get out and cool off. It was a special day filled with the beauty of Florida and some time well spent together. A definite special memory was made!!

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Cat's in the Cradle and the Silver Spoon....

2009-07-13T14:28:00.004-04:00

We woke up this morning with quite a surprise! Izzy excitedly let us know that she was going to lose a tooth...yup it was certainly wiggly! It was her first loose tooth so we made a big out of how big she was getting and told her that in a few days we would certainly get a visit from the tooth fairy. Well those "few days" did not account for the big brother who would proceed to pull the tooth for her within the hour...geesh! Maybe he'll be a dentist. Oh well, she's thrilled and I can't help but feel the beginning of the end :(. My babies have grown just way too quickly.

This one's for you mom...

2009-07-08T21:33:00.004-04:00

As you all well know, we spend a lot of time at the beach....a LOT of time at the beach. We go most Sundays to Honeymoon Island well equipped with a huge tent, a multitude of chairs, sunscreen (like it matters), towels, and a plethera of toys and materials to make it a great day. Oh, and how could I forget??? We also have to have either Subway or a "mess a chicken", depending on the week.
We never intend to get sunburned and swear that we'll do better next time-higher SPF, more frequent applications...nonsense. We always leave with a burn. Could it be because we end up staying for about 6 hours in the midday Florida sun??? HMMM...
Why do we stay so long you ask??? I can generally answer that in one word...MOM. My mother LOVES the water. When I say loves the water I don't mean loves to hear the waves crashing into the shore or look at the light as it reflects on the azure sea. I mean full-on jumping in waves, splashing people, laughing and screaming, hoping to find creatures under her feet in the water. We can't get her out! She brings a chair every week, I have yet to see her sit in it. If she steps out of the water for anything, within moments you will hear, "Ya going in??". And she's off again, this time trying to drag you with her. It is truly a hoot. She was born in Massachusettes and swears she will never leave the ocean again. I believed her, but didn't think she was so literal...By the time we are managing to drag her away she is asking, "so what's the plan for next week?" Which usually means are we bringing Subway or a messa chicken. We love you mom! This video is for you......
***Turn off the music at the bottom before you hit play!!***

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Congrats Nate

2009-06-12T14:10:00.006-04:00

1st day of Kindergarten to a big 5th grade grad!

As my little girl will be making the transition to elementary, my little boy will be leaving it. Nate has finished 5th grade and will enter that BIG, BAD world of the Middle Schoolers. To say that I'm proud of all of his accomplishments would be a huge understatement. He takes his schoolwork seriously and helps around the house. He is a fantastic big brother and genuinely cares about other people.

I got to attend his 5th grade awards ceremony and was amazed at the amount of times his name was called. His interests are so varied and he loves to be involved with as many things as he can. Most of all, I am proud of the person that he is. Whenever I meet his teachers or the parents of his friends I hear about how respectful, polite, and kind he is. I can see the adult that he is growing into and have only one great hope.....

PLEASE, PLEASE DON'T LET MIDDLE SCHOOL RUIN HIM!! Come on, we've been there-that place is horrible!! I see teen angst on the horizon and can only hope that he stays as mellow as he is now.

But for now, congratulations Nate! Your Daddy and I are so proud of you everyday!! We love you.

Where My Girls At??

2009-06-06T17:33:00.003-04:00

For years I have referred to our darling Izzy as "THE DIVA". Those who have met her and heard my stories about the hair, lipgloss, and insistance on wearing just the right skirt, along with her uncanny knack for throwing just the right "Veruca Salt" style fit know why I have contemplated changing her name to Whitney-Mariah-Aretha Marie Atkins for years...
Well, our precious youngest has made the journey through pre-school and will soon break my heart in two as she enters the world of the elementary. During her last year at Curlew Learning Center she has become increasingly more like the 14 year old that I know I'm destined to grapple with...tiffs with girlfriends, an eye roll that could make Mommy Dearest shudder, and of course the well-crafted and often rehearsed door slam/foot stomp combo (not easy to pull off with grace).
However she has also grown into her own little person who loves to sing and dance, play dress-up (diva style), go to parties, and pretend talk to friends on the phone. Kevin had the pleasure of attending her end of year farewell party at her school and took some great shots of Iz with her friends. I had to post them, well because you can just see the teen, can't you? These could easily come from the future high school year book pages that I'm sure will be filled with the signatures of the coolest and most popular. Trust me...I don't think our DIVA will have it any other way!!

Thank you Ms. Kathy and Ms. Laura!! We love you!!!

New Shoes

2009-05-23T18:50:00.003-04:00

I know what you're thinking... It has been a while since I have posted, or even taken the opportunity to browse through any of your wonderful blogs. Not like me, huh?? I have to be honest- As much as I don't like to admit it, the last couple of months have been a bit of an emotional struggle for me. We all have our times, our stresses, feelings of being overwhelmed or worried, maybe even just flat out bored. I usually manage to get through those times with a smile (at least when I'm around people) and eventually whatever is troubling me or weighing me down just works itself out. Please-I don't mean to imply that I can wish on a star or wiggle my nose and POOF all my troubles are gone. Simply that I'm lucky enough to have a wonderful family and friends that help me through those things (even if they don't realize they are doing it). So what's been different?? I'm actually not sure. I still have all of you to turn to. I can still fake it most of the time when I'm in the presence of civilized folk...Maybe it's just one of those "when it rains it pours" kinds of times in my life. Too much at once. So here's why I chose today to be back..Right now you are listening to a song that I have loved for a long time. It's always been a favorite and there was a time when this CD was really all I was listening to. I hadn't heard it for a while until this morning. I was up early and feeling quite sad thinking of my close friend whom I recently lost. She took me to see Wicked a few years back for my birthday and we had a great time and both instantly loved the show and the music from it. One song from it hit pretty close to home for us and it even kinda summed up the many years that we were friends. When I moved from Cinci, she added it to a slideshow for my goodbye party. She cried her eyes out and held my hand through the whole thing (those of you who knew her wouldn't bat an eye at her flaire for the dramatic). I stumbled upon that same song this morning on a You Tube video and listened to it and really took it hard. But hey...the oddest thing happened. The video stopped and switched to a commercial playing this very song that you are now hearing. I got annoyed at first, but then listened. "Hey, I put some new shoes on and suddenly everything's right..." This whole song really handed me my solution. I need to put on those new shoes and get past this. All of this. Thank you Paulo Nutini for giving me some perspective and that slight kick in the pants that I needed.
Here comes summer, let's all find some new shoes and start fresh! I'm starting today! Scroll down and play the song again, listen closely, and find your new shoes (even if you can't afford the manolos at the top of the page!!) Love you all!!

Disney At Last!!

2009-04-02T18:32:00.007-04:00

We finally made it to Disney for the very first time! We had a spectacular time that began with a day at Downtown Disney and some shopping (Legos anyone??) and good food. We then made our way over to Animal Kingdom Lodge where we enjoyed fantastic views, swimming, activities, and were introduced to "tea time", which the kids have become very accustomed to! Here is a peek at our stay...

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Our first day began in true Disney Magic fashion with the opening ceremony at the Magic Kingdom. I actually shed a tear to watch Izzy get so excited to see Mickey and Minnie arrive in the train to open the gates. I caught a wonderful pic of her waving at them from Kevin's shoulders as well as one of her sheer joy at seeing the Castle for the first time. We were pleasantly surprised to find out that Isabella was tall enough for all of the rides, so the four of us did it all together. Who knew she was a thrill ride junkie??? She did Space Mountain and Thunder Mountain twice each and was begging for more! She was actually the one who kept her hands up the whole time!!

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Of course the biggest thrill was seeing Isabella meet the Princesses that she adores!

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Nate was in need of some action, so off to Hollywood Studios! This worked out great because he is totally into this Indiana Jones phase and was thrilled to see the stunt show and get to pose with some of the scenery. Of course he was a bit miffed that it wasn't the "real" Indie, and the dude "was even way too short". Of course I explained to him that even Harrison Ford himself doesn't even look like the "real" Indie anymore!! Our thrills continued with more stunt shows and the topper of the whole vacation...THE TOWER OF TERROR!!! That's right-even my little daredevil rode the blood curdling drop fest. Let me just say that she handled it much better than I did! That crap is for the birds! Check out the pic of us as we are dropped-Kevin and I are both reassuring Izzy, who was in better shape than the two of us put together!!

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It was fantastic and everything that we expected! We can't wait to go back!!!

Happy Anniversary to Us!!

2009-02-15T21:28:00.002-05:00

Today is our 17th wedding anniversary and I just couldn't resist the idea of doing a little reminiscing, some sharing with friends, and of course embarrassing the bejesus out of us both...
Kevin and I met on October 17, 1988. It was my very first day at Cumberland College and my new friends from the color guard were determined to "set me up" right away. As we approached the music building the girls told me to "let us know who you want to meet," and with not very much hesitation I told them, "the cute trumpet player with the dimples." Later that night, Kevin invited me to go with him and some friends to Cumberland Falls. I am not exaggerating at all when I say that I fell in love that same night. I mean, I was SERIOUSLY done for! We sat in a little dip in the rocks by ourselves looking at the stars and talking for hours until it was time to go back to school. (Girls had a curfew...seriously) We became pretty inseparable from that day on, and luckily we developed a wonderful friendship that we still have today.
I had so much fun finding the pictures for this video...I mean are you kidding me with the hair??? The 80s were not good to me! If you look closely, you will notice a few really classic things-first, Kevin is actually wearing a "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" t-shirt in one picture. Second (and most importantly) I was actually about 5'6 at our wedding if you include the 9 inches of hair on top of my head. Jon Bon Jovi had NOTHING on me! Turn the music down at the bottom of the page first-I picked a really special song for the video that you don't want to miss...
Oh! And to my darling husband who is in the next room folding laundry, completely unaware of the humiliation that awaits him...I love you dearly forever, and I am so lucky that I am in love with my best friend...:)

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Great Fun! Great Friends!

2009-01-31T18:26:00.002-05:00

WARNING!! Those of you up North who are snowbound and freezing may want to avoid this post all together!

We spent a fantastic day at Clearwater Beach with our great friends Nicole, Antonio, and Shane. The kids had so much fun chasing each other on the playground and watching the exciting shows at Pier 60. Isabella was thrilled to "babysit" Shane, while the boys were so cool playing football, hide and seek, and working hard to look just plain awesome for the chicks...

Dinner was at Crabby Bills across the street, where Nicole and I had a hard time trying to keep the older kids from feeding Shane random weird things like lemons and hotsauce, and Izzy thought it was great fun to give him a tomato slice to use as a hat. (Sorry, no pics of that-I really need a new camera!)

They didn't want to leave and Antonio tried really hard to bring Nate home with him. It is so great to watch the boys interact...they have so much in common and I know are becoming great friends. It was such a fun day enjoying the beautiful weather and the ocean-maybe even worth the parking ticket that greeted us as we returned to our car.
***Don't forget to pause the music at the bottom of the page before watching the video! Enjoy!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

An Exciting Day!

2009-01-18T10:46:00.002-05:00

Last weekend we spent a great day in Tampa! We began at the Forum getting to see the Ringling Bros. Circus. I was so excited because it was actually my first circus ever! We were a bit disappointed to find out that our seats were about 600 miles in the air, but hey, nothing like looking DOWN on the high wire acts!! The expereience was great though, and it was just the beginning of our day...
We then shot over to Channelside and looked at the huge cruise ship waiting to depart and even got to see Jenny who was just showing up to work on her dinner cruise ship. We then decided to take advantage of the fun around us and have some dinner and fun at Splitsville. I bowled a crappy game and only beat Isabella by like two points (not great for my competetive ego). Nate also got a reality check that he is not quite the kingpin that he is on the Wii in real life! Daddy took home the trophy, but it was fun for everyone and the sushi was terrific. Check out the video of our day (but don't forget to pause the music at the bottom of the page first!!)

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A Nature Walk

2009-01-03T12:09:00.001-05:00

We decided to enjoy the fantastic weather and the beauty around us with a day at Honeymoon Island. We live just a couple of minutes away, so it was easy to escape from real life, take a breath after the holidays and enjoy Florida and each other.
We began our adventure with a picnic by the ocean-great food (bologna of course), sun on our face, and an 80 year old stalker who insisted on telling us stories about the bench that he donated and how it was in the movie "The Punisher" with John Travolta. Actually a very sweet man (who I'm pretty sure just wanted Isabella off of his bench..)
We then took a hiking trail that led us ultimately to two bald eagles' nests. We didn't get to see the eagles but had a great time looking at the mulitude of osprey and hunting for gopher tortoises. The walk was about two miles total, and by the end both kids had to pee and Isabella was sooooo done walking.
After the hike, we couldn't leave without taking advantage of the playground (energy automatically restored). It was a great start to my New Year's Resolution...to spend more time outdoors enjoying the beautiful weather and ocean that we are surrounded by...
Here's a video of our adventure-no need to turn down the music (I didn't add any to the video).

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Brody the Great

2008-12-28T11:33:00.003-05:00

So many of you ask about our Great Dane, that I thought I'd let you take a look for yourselves! Pictures do say 1000 words, however I opted against posting pictures of the multitude of damage and destruction that the little cutie has caused along the way...we love him anyway! How could you not??

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-26T09:51:00.007-05:00

We had a wonderful Christmas! It was actually the first that we spent in Florida and it was quite different to have Christmas Eve on the lanai in 80 degree weather rather than being snowed in with no electricity!!! It was certainly a great time, but was bittersweet because Jason, Breann, and Myara made the trip North to visit with Breann's family. I'm happy that she got to see them, but it just wasn't the same without my little bro there. We also missed seeing Grandma Barb and Papa John, but will hopefully see them both very soon...
Christmas Eve started a bit dramatically, when I had the audacity to put curlers in Isabella's hair earlier in the day. She was fine with it until she saw herself in the mirror and was horrified. She threw a fit and begged me to take them out of her hair. She thought that she would have to keep them in for the party and said that she didn't want everyone to laugh at her. Awwww-it took a while to convince her that they would come out before anyone saw her (I told you she was a diva!) I actually shot a video of the fit, but promised her that I wouldn't show it to anyone. Her hair did turn out beautiful though, as you can see in the pics! The price we women pay for our beauty!!!! :)
Christmas morning began a bit sooner than we had hoped-Nate woke Izzy up at 2 a.m. and came to our room to wake us...needless to say, he was sent packing. Iz had no problem cuddling up with us and snoozing away, but Nate spent the rest of the evening watching the news in his room. We began our day at 6 a.m. and the kids were very thrilled with the haul for the year. Some of the favorites for Isabella were her bike, all of the many Barbies, and about 1,000 Littlest Pet Shop animals. Without a doubt, the top of the list for Nate was the Wii-his first game system ever. He also loved the rip stick and great tool box (filled) from Santa.
I hope all of you had a wonderful holiday too...lots of love from all of us!!!
***Don't forget to scroll down and turn off the music before playing the video!!**

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Deck the Halls

2008-12-19T20:51:00.003-05:00

Just a quick glimpse at us decorating for Christmas...Thanks to Carrie for yet another "gentle nudge" to get something new posted!! Love ya!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Everyday Hero!

2008-12-06T07:34:00.002-05:00

Nate was recognized today as an "Everyday Hero" by Bay News 9! We had an exciting shoot at the Children's Home of Tampa where Nathan was able to give a donation of $530. The taping took about 2 hours and included an interview with Nathan, myself, and the Executive Director of The Children's Home. All who know me will not be surprised to know that I had a very hard time choking back tears as I talked about Nathan and about adoption in general. They also took footage of Nate playing with some of the kids who live at the home and of him actually presenting the money. All in all a VERY neat experience, however Nathan had a bit of a hard time leaving. He said he felt bad for the kids and wanted to take some home...oh my.
The story will air on December 15 every hour, so be sure to catch it. I will also give it my best shot to post it here as well for those of you not in Tampa (or without Brighthouse!). Thanks again to all of you who helped make this possible for my boy! Here are some pics that I was able to snap of the experience...

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-30T09:42:00.003-05:00

We had a wonderful day at Gramma and Papa's house. The day would have been perfect if Aunt Lisa, Aunt Jenny, Grandma Barb, and Papa John could have been with us. We missed you all!

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A Huge Success!!

2008-11-30T08:58:00.003-05:00

Nate's fundraising efforts really paid off! Thanks to his hard work and the kindness of soooo many people who made donations, he was able to raise $500 for The Children's Home of Tampa. He is now putting together a video of the experience that I'm sure I'll have to post! Thank you so much to everyone who helped him...Enjoy some pics of him in action.

A little taste of the past for you...

2008-11-25T20:38:00.000-05:00

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Nate the Humanitarian

2008-11-15T19:13:00.000-05:00

Nate does a service project for his Gifted Program every year. This year, he decided that he wanted to do something for kids in foster care. He is presently making himself available to be hired by neighbors to walk dogs, take out trash or do light yard work for donations to help The Children's Home of Tampa. He is also in charge of a garage sale we are having in two weeks, to earn more money to donate. He said in the letter that he is distributing to the neighborhood that, "My little sister and I are so lucky to have been adopted at birth. Some children aren't that lucky, and I want to help them." Wow-he never fails to make me proud!

Let me know if you'd like to make a donation to the Children's Home or if you have items for the sale...I'll pass it along to Nate.

Diva

2008-11-15T09:47:00.000-05:00

Thought it would be fun to show you all the diva that I'm dealing with!! Meet future singing sensation...Isabella!!

Halloween Fun

2008-11-11T19:19:00.000-05:00

It was fantastic to have all of the kids together for Halloween! We started the party a week early with a visit to the Halloween Festival at Honeymoon Island. We had lots of fun, but Myara was having NOTHING to do with the haunted house! On Halloween night, everyone came to our house for some pizza and trick-or-treating. Only Savannah decided that her costume from the week before was perfect...Nate, Izzy, and Myara all switched!! Fickle, Fickle kids!! BOO!