20 years and Home Again

Headed to my 20th HS Reunion this weekend....and I can't wait!  You see there is something so special about this school - "the castle on the hill" as it is refereed to!  Some of my most precious memories are from HS, from Glen Ellyn, from home...!

And although we can't ever really "go back" we can sure enjoy the time and relish in the memories!

Things I am looking forward to:

a girl's weekend...w/ about 10 of my HS besties (and all that a hotel, child-less, husband-less, responsibility-less, big slumber party entails!

• a reunion with old classmates & friends
• the Homecoming Parade and Football game
• the parties....
• the laughter....
• Barone's Pizza
• Santa Fe Mexican
• The Cracker Barrel Bakery
• Alfie's Inn
• the lake, the leaves and the nostalgia of being there again...

I can't wait to go home!

 The house I grew- up in... so many memories!

679 North Main Street....

Triathalon

I am so proud of Bryan who competed in his FIRST Triathlon Sunday!  He did an amazing job in the rain and cooler temps...he finished 7th! overall in the swim leg and 51st overall in the race!  Out of a few hundred!  Way to go babe!  He travels alot for work and when he is home he has little time to do anything else than be a Dad, husband, dog walker and handyman/get-it done man...so his training was sporadic (at best) but he was diligent and went for it anyway!  The kids and I loved cheering you on, thanks for being an awesome example!

Coming out of the water!

Transitioning to his bike

A couple "fans" :)

waiting to see him finish his bike "leg!" ...12miles!

GO! Daddy Go!!!  Coming into the shoot after the 5K, the final leg!...

There is Campbell to his right cheering him on!

We love you Bryan!

xoxo

Blankie Love

I managed to re-arrange and organize our teeny, tiny linen closet this week....

it makes me happy to see it all "perfect" (albeit short-lived I know!)

 

Some of my babies' blankies I could not part with and decided not to pack away...

It will be a cold,long winter here and my hope is that they will end up at this closet and pull out a little piece of their history to warm up and snuggle with!

The quilts and blankets on top are from both sides of Bryan and I's families - I love that....

and I love that my kids can wrap around them a part of our history too!

Blankies and organizing = happiness!

Happy Sunday friends!

(Wow!  Not very good pictures Iphone by the way....)

My Baby Birdie

My baby...

my last baby, my youngest baby, the baby I prayed so hard for, fought so hard for....

(bedrest 2007)

 and celebrated so intensely...

(delivered 4 weeks premature but healthy and strong!)

December 6, 2007

started preschool today!

 

My little "birdy" has flown the coop, left the nest
 and spread his wings today!

(new school! - September 6, 2011

I love you my sweet, sweet Christian, my forever little birdy...this Mama
loves you more than words!

Donut Date for Kindergartners

A girlfriend and I decided to host a "New to Kindergarten" play date at school shortly after the Class lists were posted....

We sent an Evite to those we knew and just asked those friends to spread the word

and forward the Evite...

We had close to 30 or so incoming Kindergartners and their Moms/Dads!

We provided donuts, juice and coffee for the "big kids" :)

It was a beautiful, sunny morning and was so much fun to get all those kids together, they saw some familiar faces but met lots of new friends too - we knew that might ease first day jitters!

Our school has wonderful playgrounds, a Prairie and Pavilion - lots of exploring fun!

(PS- Hang with me...I am pretty sure that these next few posts will all be back-tracking...I have sooo much to post about)

Ice Cream Social

Back to School Night

Teacher Meet & Greet

All our Summer adventures

Campbell's soccer team

and much, much more!

there they go....

and we are off and running....

Feeling pretty lame and (less than inadequate;) ) that I have not even blogged about (or showed any pics) of the kids going back to school...so many emotions, big firsts this year and who know, maybe I am still in a little bit of denial about it all...!  I am so happy and so excited for my three but have felt a little sad, a little nostalgic and a little "now what?!" (not gonna lie!)...although, I am excited and feeling very lucky to be getting sometime to myself now...I know it will go fast but it will be huge for me! First time in almost 10 years I will not have had at least one little one at home...weird and strange, cant really describe it, but exciting to be entering the next "phase" of our lives!

my loves!

Everyone is doing great, still adjusting to new routines and my little Kindergartner is tiiirrreeeedddd by 3pm but she is loving every.minute.of.it!  Campbell has settled right into 4th grade and has shown some great responsibilty of late, very proud of him - he has also been a pretty great big brother to his little sis as she "learns the ropes"!  Christian starts school Tuesday, today was class visitation and he loved it, I loved it, it was such a happy day for him...all about him for the first time - his school, his teachers, his friends, his playground etc....by God that child has earned it!  :)  I did something very unorthodox for myself and threw all my plans for him (and his schooling) out the window this week, went with my gut and I am SO happy that I did, feeling at peace....his new school is literally right outside my neighborhood, So convienet and we love that so many friends are there too :)

my wild & crazy new preschooler!

I really wanna be more regular here - this is my scrapbooking/journaling right now so I need to more accountable!  Hope you all are enjoying the end of Summer, start of a new school year and time with those you love!

be back soon-

my 4th grader...

Charlotte with her sweet teacher; Mrs. Hammond

Kindergarten Orientation

august 24, 2011