Birthdays that we won't soon forget!

Happy 9th Birthday Ben & Rachel!!! We took the kids to Great Wolf Lodge (an awesome indoor water park only 3 miles from our house) to spend the night for their 9th birthday (last Thursday night, Friday was their day)! We had lots of fun. Even had a really cool loft room so Ben & Rachel felt like they had their own place in the loft area, with it's own bath. The water park was so fun but at one point we counted 89 steps to the top of the 2 slides we rode over and over on those days. I am guessing we did close to 3000 steps! Whew!
Then we came home Friday night to get ready for their family party on Sat. but found out that Grandma wasn't feeling well (she had a little stomach bug) so we waited until Sunday to celebrate when she was feeling better. Little did we know what was ahead. The day was great but then late Sunday afternoon Grandpa started getting sick. It wasn't a little stomach bug anymore...it was a bad stomach bug that made him so sick he couldn't drive home. Then Monday afternoon it went into the domino effect. Rachel got it by 3, then Molly at 3:45, Ben by 5, Uncle Vic, Uncle Sean, myself that night by 9, Trevor & our nephew Michael by midnight. Then found out this morning that Aunt Maureen got it last night. So 11 of the 14 of us either had it or got it, and it was NO fun. Kids are still out of school today, Thursday but hopefully they will feel like going back tomorrow. Trevor did end up going into the office for a little bit today but only for a couple hours. Hope you are all well and don't get anything like this!!! It is so bad and it is a party that we won't soon forget! :(

Fun Filled Weekend!

What a fun filled weekend. We had a house full of family and had a wonderful time celebrating birthday's! (Molly's 4th was Sat. and Grandma's was Sunday but we did it Sat. too) Grandma & Grandpa made Molly the princess crown cake that she wanted....so cute! Then we had our Hanlon Family Christmas yesterday, topping it off with Sunday night mass as an entire family! Very moving music..we all took up the whole pew....it was awesome being all together!

Molly loved all her princess and barbie things....
she had so much fun!

We got her a new house for all her barbies!

Here's Grandma opening up a gift and enjoying all her Grandkids packed in around her!!! We got a little snow but didn't get a chance to go build a snowman although we are enjoying a couple that our neighbors built! So hopefully sometime while they are on break we will get enough that we can do that then. So glad the kids are on break! We are going to enjoy every minute of these next 2 weeks. Happy Holidays!!!

Happy Birthday Molly!!!

4 years ago today....this precious little angel was born!

And today she is still a precious little angel who played one of the wise men in her preschool play on Thursday. Today we are celebrating with Trevor's family and she woke up an excited little girl. First thing she asked was, "Am I four now?" We have been looking through pictures of her first few weeks of life and Ben & Rachel have been going crazy over her! We are so truly blessed! Happy Birthday Molly!!! You are so loved!!!

November Vacation

Trevor and I just returned from a 7 night Eastern Caribbean Cruise...thanks to Grandpa, Grandma (the whole week) and Aunt Maureen(the first 2 nights) came and stayed with the kids.
Trevor celebrated his birthday in style! We had a great time. Loved Turks & Caicos, enjoyed our day in San Juan, LOVED the snorkeling and the catamaran to St. John but would have stayed in Half Moon Cay, Bahamas (private island, above)...I mean, if we could have had the kids brought to us....we would stay there for the winter! Coming back to Ohio and not seeing the sun for 2 days...makes you really wish we were still there. The water and sand were incredible!
While we were gone Ben's soccer team won both of their games the first weekend and advanced to the sweet 16 of the state soccer tournament. They did awesome but ended the season with a close one. Tied 2 -2 at the end of play and it went into 2 overtimes to loss 3 -2. Congrats to Ben and all the Cobras for a super season!

Happy Halloween

Ben (Grave Reaper....his mask lasted about 5 minutes), Rachel (Prairie Girl, Laura Ingalls) and Princess Molly!

2nd Place.... District Runner-up

He was so cute....and soccer continues....they go on to the State Tournament that starts on the 14th....and Trevor & I leave on the 13th for our 8 night away...7 night cruise....Thank Goodness for Grandpa & Grandma...who will take him to the game...or games if they keep winning.

Where have I been???

To Rachel's soccer games......
To Ben's soccer games....(he's on the front left, Trevor on the back Right)
Molly loves the soccer games too...but of course this picture was taken back before it turned cool. And we have now had to break out the gloves, hats, and coats for soccer. This is playoff weekend (both of their teams made it to the tournament) and with more rain in the forecast for tonight and in the morning... there will be more muddy clean ups for me! But after 2 plus months of soccer games (at least 2 per week of games and 2 to 3 practices a week & there was a spell when we were at 7 games in 10 days between the 2 of them) it will come to an end after this weekend. It will be nice to have Daddy and both kids home for dinner at the same time!
Go Gators, Go Cobras, Go Coach Trevor....Good luck this weekend!
And little princess started ballet like her big sister. She loves it! Of course it is like a chain reaction when those little girls need to leave class for a potty break....and it's a little annoying when you get her all undressed to go and she says, "never mind, just kidding!"
Now off to fall parties at school.....I love my job! It really is the best one in the world!