Happy 5th Birthday Matthew!

What a birthday it was...let me start out by saying that we received news from Greg's relatives that his Uncle Joe passed away on Monday (10/19) morning. We decided to drive up to PA to celebrate Uncle Joe's life and be with family. So, Tuesday afternoon the day before Matthew's birthday we gave him the one gift we could not travel with, a bike. It's black and red and he loved it! Gabby assisted and ran the whole circle with him. Unfortunately, his time on the bike was short. We headed out that evening for PA.

Birthday morning we woke in VA and had a celebratory breakfast at Bob Evans. Matthew had pancakes and French Fries. Hey, it was his birthday french fries are one of his favorites. The wait staff placed a candle in the pancakes and sang happy birthday. He was thrilled! Thanks Bob Evans!

Instead of a pit stop at a gas station, we saw this John Deer Dealer and decided to get some pics of Matthew with some tractors. He had a blast on the big tractors and the little ones. That was a fun pit stop!

Thursday in PA Greg's parents surprised Matt with a Steelers cake and presents.

Sunday we arrived home and Monday we decorated the kitchen table (like we do for every ones birthday) and celebrated Matthew's birthday with more gifts. He did have a well check-up that afternoon and received 3 shots along with the flu mist. He handled it all like a champ. We surprised him with dinner at Sneakers and his birthday cake from Publix. He picked it out all by himself and could not wait to have it on his birthday.

Tuesday we surprised Matt again with a trip to the CAT machine store and one more gift. A Steelers jersey. Whew! It felt like the 12 days of Matt's birthday. We enjoyed celebrating our little guys big day many times over. We are blessed with such a funny & spirited young boy.

We love you Matthew and Happy 5th Birthday!

Happy 7th Birthday Gabby!

Today we celebrated Gabby's 7th birthday. It was filled with many surprises for Gabby. Here is how her day unfolded...

celebratory pancake breakfast

a genuine reaction to the Molly (an American Girl Doll) movie

a mini Rebecca ( an American Girl Doll)

Lunch with the family at The Old City House Restaurant (one of Gabby's favorite places to eat lunch)

manicure & Pedicure at Debbie's Salon & Spa

Cupcakes at LuLi's

Horse and Carriage ride around downtown St. Augustine

opening gifts from Nana & Grandpa while on Skype

a pink kids snuggie from her brothers

Happy Birthday Gabby!

Friday Night Fun!

Friday was finally here, after what seemed like a very long week. I packed the kids in the car and took them to the Fort and then the beach to watch the sun go down. It was a joyful evening filled with laughter and hopefully some fond memories. The kids had a wonderful time and so did I! I enjoyed watching them run around the grassy area surrounding the fort and discovering how beautiful God's creation is as they strolled along the beach looking for new treasures. We have been blessed to live in such a historically beautiful city and I am so thankful for a gracious KING who created such a glorious day for us to enjoy it.

Happy 2nd Birthday Alex!

Our little boy has turned 2! It has been our pleasure to watch Alex grow into such a fun loving and joy filled little boy. We are blessed by God to have him in our lives. We celebrate Alex's life today and thank God for the gift he has given us.

Alex with his new sippy cup! From The Cutesy Mom.

Alex's new Elmo backpack.

What a big boy!

Showing off his new t-shirt also from The Cutesy Mom.

Birthday lunch celebration.

Talking on the phone with Baby (my Mom).

Thanks Judith for celebrating with us.

Happy Birthday Alex!

Happy Birthday Greg!

We celebrated Greg's birthday today. We enjoyed showering him with love, gifts and good eats!

Lunch at Five Guys! Greg's Request. Sounds familiar...!

Hazelnut Crunch Cake with Mascarpone and Chocolate!

A week of FIRSTS!

Monday was our official first day of Home School. Gabby started 1st grade, Matthew will be working his way through Pre-K and Alex is playing along. We had a fun and productive first day. We had a wonderful year last year. Gabby did so well! She was really looking forward to starting 1st grade. Matthew was also really excited about doing more this year. So far he looks forward to school with Mommy, which is such a joy to me. I have captured some moments from our first day. All three kiddos are drawing pictures of their first day of school. We pray that our attitudes and hearts will remain positive and most importantly focused on Christ as we embark on another school year.



Another first...

Gabby and Matthew love to play and ride scooters and bikes out doors. Matthew has been asking us to put the training wheels back on Gabby's bike so he could ride. We told him if he wants to ride a bike he will have to learn how to ride the two wheeler. So, both Greg and I tried on numerous occasions and it just didn't stick.

We noticed one afternoon while the kids were playing on the drive way that Gabby would hold the bike and help Matthew balance while he attempted to maneuver the two wheeler. She was patient and always encouraging him. This was happening each time they would play outside. Greg jokingly said, "wouldn't it be funny if Gabby taught Matthew how to ride a bike?!" Well, it happened! I went out front this afternoon and to my surprise found Matthew riding Gabby's pink two wheeler in a circle on the driveway. I let Matthew go onto our block and ride around and Gabby ran beside him the whole way. I think he went around the circle about 6 times.

A huge smile is on my face now as I remember how sweet that moment was. The fact that our 6 year old taught her younger brother, who is 4 years old, how to ride a bike. The patience she had with Matthew and the constant encouragement she showered him with, has me overjoyed. Matthew would continuously laugh off all his falls and run ins with the shrubs like it was some kind of game, BOYS! He showed a lot of patience and perseverance as well. You can't teach this stuff. I am so thankful I was able to witness this moment in their lives.

A celebratory dinner at Sneakers!

Bon Appetite!

This post may seem out of sorts based upon my other posts which are typically about family. But I believe this is about family...how I feed my family. This past week I tried all new recipes from Everyday Food. I love their magazine, cookbook and PBS show. I was able to get pictures of some of the dishes that I thought were so colorful and they tasted as good as they looked.

Shrimp and Tomatoes over Soft Polenta was delicious! Shrimp is a favorite around here. One tip, make double of the Polenta and pour it into a loaf pan and refrigerate. Use it later in the week for Broiled Polenta with Mushroom Ragout. Yum-O! Thanks Rachel Ray for that expression!

This evening we tried Roasted Cod with Potatoes and Olives. It was a hit! We devoured it all. Even the kids enjoyed the fish just as much as Greg and I. The blend of potatoes, olives, tomatoes and garlic was divine. Paired with a delightful white wine, it was a wonderful celebration of food and family.

I enjoy trying new recipes and I hope this post has inspired you to do the same. Happy Cooking!

Bon Appetite!