swinging from a tree

Here is Drew swinging from a tree.   Free as can be....swinging from a tree!

This is my favorite shot of June.  Precisely because Drew is so in the moment.  Soooo enjoying the new swing.  And so unaware of my camera...and I just got lucky with this great shot.  

A happy childhood moment captured!  I love it!

r is for....

Proud Mama Alert!

R is for reading....   but right now R is for.....ridiculously excited!    We are so excited and proud of the hard work our Drew has been doing on his reading.  It hasn't been easy.  There have been tears and frustration, anxiety and sadness.   Last summer he even said "I hate reading" and he meant it.   Thank goodness that is all changing thanks lots of work at home and to Drew's fantastic 1st grade teacher....Mrs. Keisling-Davis, we should all be so lucky to have a teacher like her.     

Right now he is excited to try and read, to get out his readers and fluency card and show us what he can do.   

 Of course we are crazy proud of him.....but the best part is that he is crazy proud of himself!!!!!

This is Drew's 100 chart.....100 stars for reading, piano, chores = a new d.s. game. 

Hey, it worked!  Again.....super proud of himself!

i heart faces- winter wonderland

We live in a winter wonderland....otherwise known as Wisconsin.

This is one of my favorite shots of my bright eyed boy.  He is full of life,  he is sensitive,  he is incredibly loving and nurturing.  And just look at those blue eyes and freckles....

In a white winter wonderland he is a burst of life and color!

Check out all the amazing entries at i heart faces!

love at first sight.....it's a Christmas Pyramid

Ah, love at first sight.  The Christmas pyramid.  This is on Jeni's list of favorite things!  For the full effect you need to see the way it glows, how the heat of the flames push the fan blades so the angels fly and the bells ring so softly.   

We purchased this in Germany during the Christmas we lived in Strasbourg, France.  It is one of the best purchases from our year abroad because it brings me back there for a moment and makes every Christmas feel extra special.

How sweet is this.  Tessa and Drew glowing in the holiday light. 

Drew is telling Tessa about how the Christmas pyramid works and then blowing out the candles.

Notice there are 4 angels.

I think it is love at first sight for her too.

i heart faces: beach fun!

i heart faces:  beach fun!

This is one of my all time favorite shots of beach fun...it is 2 years old and from our day trip to New Smyrna Beach.  A beach I have very special childhood memories of. 

Here, my son Drew is making his own memories! 

That excited expression says it all about beach fun!

Drew- 7!

Our sweet boy, Drew, turned 7 on May 18th.  It never ceases to amaze me how quickly time goes.  Birthdays are always reminders of that for me.  Wasn't I just pregnant with you Drew?  Needless to say, he could hardly wait for his big day.  In fact, he was on a count down for the big day.  He had no idea he had this waiting for him!  

Drew- you are my sweet, magical boy.  I love how you light up a room with your smile, your eyes, your freckles (angel kisses).  You are fun, sillly and such a joy in my life.  I love watching you grow, I love walking and guiding you through your childhood.  I love being your Mom.  Welcome to your 7th year!

Drew is 6!!!

Our sweet boy, Drew, is now 6!  He is so proud to be 6 years old and proudly shares it with everyone he encounters.  He had a very nice birthday with a trip to Chuck E. Cheese with our neighbors, the Leuzingers, the night before the big day and then a family birthday party at home the next night.  He loved his batman cake, but the best surprise came when Pops showed up to celebrate with him!  Drew was thrilled!!

We love you so baby Drew....opps, your a big boy now!   

Drew's 5th Birthday & Disney

May 18th....Drew is 5! How is the years zip by? We had a long celebration while we were in Orlando for my cousin, Rita's wedding. On the first day to Disney, Drew said "It's my birthday!", on the 2nd day of Disney, "It's my birthday!". We had an icecream birthday cake at our rental house and then Aunt Joyce bought a cake to celebrate Drew and Aunt Peggy's birthday after the wedding! On his actualy birthday, May 18th, we flew home early to WI and were able to open presents and Drew choose his meals....McDonald's and Pizza Hut! His favorites! It is hard to believe my little baby is 5. Time is going far too quickly. Drew is a wonderful, spirited boy with tons of charm, a killer smile and is always ready to give you a hug. We love you Drew!

Our time in Florida was such fun! We stayed in a great rental home not far from Disney with Nana, Pops and cousin Grace. It was so fun. The kids loved the pool and whirlpool at the house, but the highlight of the house was definitely the t.v. in the room with their bunk beds. A little bit of kid-heaven! We all had a great time at Disney. The kids really enjoyed seeing all the wonderful shows, characters and rides. Because it was Drew's birthday, they were able to "drive" the monorail with the driver....very special. Nana and Pops were so great to have with us. I think they loved seeing Disney with the kids and experiencing the magic through their eyes! It was a magical time at Disney for everyone!

We also were able to visit with our McCormick family. First, with Aunt Joyce and Uncle Don at their beach house in New Symrna. This visit brought back my own childhood memories of visiting the beach house when my Grandpa McCormick owned it. I really enjoyed sharing this with my boys. We were able to visit with our exteneded family with the wedding festivities, which was great. The wedding was just lovely....and you could see my cousin, Rita, is very happy and in love!

Bubbles....

Don't we all just love bubbles! This weekend Drew created some beautiful bubbles!