Powder Valley Fun with Grandma & Grandpa Meyer

This picture melts my heart.

Aunt Alice & Cousin Kelly

I recently went back to St. Louis and got to catch up with a few members of the Meyer family that I have not seen in a while. Pictured here is my Aunt Alice (my dad's sister) and my cousin Kelly (my Aunt Marie's daughter). I have so many fond memories of spending time with my Aunt Alice as a child that it is hard to pick my favorite. She is a kind and beautiful person who taught me a lot about the kind of person that I wanted to be. I miss her and everyone in St. Louis (in a general sense) more than I can say. I just feel blessed to have had the privilege of having them in my life.

Hangin' with the girls

Mary & Kate were lucky enough to get some quality fun time with her girl cousins last time we went to St. Louis (from the left): Lillian, Abigail, and Courtney.

Prancing Ponies

High Flying Fun at the Circus!

Our Swimming Star

Mary continues to enjoy her swimming lessons at the local YMCA. During the long winter months these are especially wonderful - an added bonus has been that daddy gets to use the time to exercise his "new" shoulder in the water.

Aarrrr Matey!

For Valentine's Day I had a girls night out. I went with my mom, my sisters (Kathleen & Angela) , Mary, Lily (their cousin), and Katie to see Peter Pan at the Missouri Theatre in St. Joseph. What a blast we had! My sister, Kathleen, captured Mary and Lily meeting Captain Hook up close and personal. All the girls did such a good job paying attention during the performance. Now Mary and Kate run around the house singing the Peter Pan song "I don't want to grow up" - I may come to regret their enthusiasm if they are still singing that at 32.

My Little Divas

I forgot to include these pictures when the girls got their hair cut. They both left the salon and raced to the car so that the wind would not blow their "beautiful hair". I guess we girls are just born with it.

Funky Mama Fun on Friday Family Fun Night

Every Friday night we have "Friday Family Fun Night". Last Friday we got a real treat when Funky Mama came to visit St. Joseph at the local mall. The kids were asked to pick a partner and dance. A little boy walked up to Mary and boogied down. I was not sure how she would take that but to my surprise she joined right in. And they danced the night away. Kate chose to stay close to mom and dad. She danced on the sideline.

Swimming Lessons

Mary & Kate began taking swimming lessons after the first of the year at the St. Joseph YMCA. We are really happy with the instructors and the facilities there. The added benefit is they have a staffed playroom where the kids can play while we work out. It is heaven - not that we do much but ten minutes on the treadmill makes the whole day better.

When big sister saw Kate getting pampered she couldn't help but join in. I don't know if it is a girl thing but they both really loved having their hair done. They have even asked when we are going back. You can't tell from the expressions on their faces in the last picture but they had a lot of fun thanks to the wonderful woman who was very patient and extra-special gentle when working on their hair.

Abracadabra - now you see them, now you don't. The hair is officially out of Kate's eyes. We had a momentous occassion the other day when Kate had her first haircut. I waited as long as I could before doing it but the time had come. Kate does not like ponytails so even if I put her hair up she quickly took it down. Also, I wasn't sure she would sit still long enough to let anyone cut it but I was proven wrong. She sat up straight and tall and didn't move an inch the whole time. I was so proud even if it means my little baby is growing up much too fast.

Christmas in Colorado 2008

Mary & Kate watch Uncle Kelly and cousin Ethan battle at backgammon

Junebug reads 'Twas the Night Before Christmas to Mary

Mary poses with her two handsome cousins - Ethan & Kyle

The Park

Hello again! It has been a while since I have been able to post but hopefully with the new semester starting I will spend more time at the computer. We spent the Christmas break in Fort Collins, Colorado. Everyone on the Kissock side was there and it was one of the best visits ever. Not that we don't always have a great time but this time the girls were so happy having all of the family around and they are at ages that makes the holidays soooo much fun. The weather was beautiful which allowed for many outings to show them the mountains. The pictures above are of a playground in Fort Collins that should be a model and a requirement for every city in America. What a beautiful way to build community and have everyone get a little exercise and sunshine. The playground is totally accessible for any age and/or ability level. The girls just could not get enough of it.

Quality time with the cousins

The girls got to spend sometime with their cousins Nick, Courtney, and Abby on the night before Thanksgiving. Courtney has become a wonderful babysitter and all the kids were a big help in getting our little ones to bed.

On the road again . . .

We thought that we would try something a little different for our trip home from St. Louis this Christmas - we took the train! What a treat it turned out to be. Coach fare is fifty dollars for the three of us (one way). We upgraded for another forty-five and as you can see it was well worth it. The girls were comfy and cozy for the five and a half hour trip home. I wish I would have tried this when they were infants - so much better than traveling by air if time isn't a factor.

Feel the Joy

Notice the excitement and anticipation on Kate's face as she awaits her portion of the turkey dinner. Mary and Lily, as first-born, have been properly trained in the "you must smile when the camera comes out" protocol. I guess we missed that lesson with Kate.

Happy ThanksLIVING!

We went to St. Louis to celebrate Turkey Day with Grandma & Grandpa Meyer. As things turned out, we were lucky enough to be joined by my sister Kathleen, her husband Carl, their little angel Lily, and Great Grandpa Salvatore (Sam). Great Grandpa was born March 22, 1922, exercises every day, and still enjoys all night poker games. We are so happy that our girls know and love their Great Grandpa Sam. We even got to visit for a short time with Aunt Kathy (my mom's sister & one of the funniest people I have ever known) and Uncle Ron (an equally wonderful and kind relative). We had a wonderful time and decided that traveling is getting much easier as the girls get older.

The Joys of Potty Training

Winter Kisses

These moments are very, very important to capture since there are some days when the hugs and kisses are vastly outnumbered by the hits and kicks. This is when being a parent melts your heart and all of the sleepless night seem well worth it.