The Marlins

Dancing Queen

2011-06-12T21:20:00.006-04:00

The dance rectial is over and our summer vacation has finally begun. Ashley did amazing this weekend dancing her heart out and loving every minute of it.

Ballet

Hip Hop

Tap

We are so proud of you!!!

Runaway Baby

2011-06-04T22:21:00.002-04:00

Click here to view this video

American Girl has arrived!!

2011-05-08T18:51:00.006-04:00

What a lucky little girl we have that gets to celebrate her 9th birthday a week early and stocks up on American Girl everything. This is a child that needs nothing but wanted an American Girl doll so badly so mom and dad finally broke down and gave her what she wanted...and she is sooo happy.

Just in case she gets hurt. She has already fell off the paddle board and broke an arm and a leg.

Ready for Hawaii...

Had to make sure she blew all the candles out.

Ashley had the bright idea to say "I wish is could just shove my face in this cake" so I was standing behind her and wanted to make her wish come true. It was pretty funny.

Middle School Here I Come!!!

2011-05-04T09:19:00.002-04:00

Where has the time gone?

NRG Pics

2011-04-20T19:33:00.004-04:00

Here are some pics from Ashley's dances this weekend.
Lyrical-How Does It Feel

Hip-Hop/Tap-Not My Love
Ashley workin her thang...

NRG!!!

2011-04-19T18:41:00.007-04:00

Just got back from a weekend full of endless dancing, miles of beach, tornado warnings, two 1st place finishes and $2000.

All of the hard work and training put in the last few week really paid off, the production number took 1st and $1000.

While Ashley spent 2 days dancing Mike took Em and CJ to the aquarium and the beach. Ash was kind of bummed she didn't get to go but I told her this was a work trip not a play trip for her. She did train those two days with amazing dancers and choreographers, even more So You Think You Can Dance finalists.

On a side note Mike just got back from Vegas and happen to run into someone famous...or was he?

Updates on the Marlins

2011-04-01T13:50:00.022-04:00

We have had a few changes in our household the last couple of weeks. Emily celebrated her 11th going on 25th birthday, ice skating and having a sleepover with school friends.
Justin Bieber Fanatic!!!

She also come home a few weeks ago and said she was done with gymnastics and wanted to be a middle school cheerleader just like that. Everyone was blindsided by this decision. This is a child who was planning her life around gymnastics. She knew where she wanted to go to college on a gymnastics scholarship, she was also going to be a gymnastics coach while in college and after she became a pediatrician. We wanted her think about it for a couple of weeks to be sure of her decision because there is no going back. It is a lot to give up, she has been doing gymnastics since she was five. It didn't take more than a few days to decide. I put her in a cheer camp at one of the competitive cheer organizations here to see what she thought. She was hooked instantly and they begged her to come and tryout for them. I had to force her to go to gym and decided it wasn't worth it. She goes from 16 hrs of gymnastics a week to 2 hrs of tumbling a week and is loving every minute of it.
Can't you tell how thrilled she is to be there...

Ashley is still a dancing machine. A few weeks ago she trained with another So You Think You Can Dance finalist. He choreographed a hip-hop/tap dance for the company girls. It is awesome. They are going to take it to their next competition in South Carolina and on to Nationals. He also wants them to submit it to the dance shows on TV.

CJ is just his goober self.

So tired he just collapsed.

Mike is working as hard as ever both at work and at home.
As for me, I go in for my 2nd scans next week. My hair is starting to have a little more style if that's what you call a cow lick. It is shocking to me how many people ask why I chose my haircut or why it is so short. They feel pretty dang stupid when I tell them cancer chose it for me. I have also got several compliments asking if I will leave it short. I was told today it was sassy. I have to admit it is tempting to leave it short, it takes a whole minute to do. I don't know what I'm going to do when I have to actually style it.
Just shy of 2 inches.

Happy Birthday CJ

2011-03-04T14:31:00.006-05:00

I can't believe my baby is four. He had a fun birthday with pizza, presents and dirt cake with dinosaurs.

Ashley had another dance competition with a 1st and 2nd place and an extra award for sportsmanship representing the studio so positive.

Lastest hair update...1 1/4 inchs.

Daddy/Daughter Dance

2011-02-12T18:01:00.007-05:00

Ashley has her first date tonight with her Daddy. We bought her a pretty new dress and new shoes and even a corsage.

I'm so excited!!

So Pretty!!

I Love My Daddy!!

Walking out the door.

Our Dancing Queen

2011-02-08T18:29:00.017-05:00

After months of rehearsing and hard work Ashley's dance competition season started this weekend. She was in dance clinics all day then competed in two dances that night and loved every minute of it. She even got to meet Kent, one of the finalist from the last season of So You Think You Can Dance... They ended up getting 2nd and 1st in choreography.

Kent & Ashley

Ashley as a Fembot

Our Porcelain Doll

Lyrical

Emily has been having headaches lately so I took her to the Eye Dr. and this is what she got this week. She has to wear them for reading but the Dr. said within a year she will probably have to wear them all the time.

Hair Update...almost an inch.

CANCER FREE!!!!

2011-01-18T17:29:00.004-05:00

Cancer Free & my hair is coming back.
Emily just measured, it's already a 1/2 in.

Eyebrows and lashes even with mascara.

Happy Holidays!!!

2010-12-08T08:35:00.004-05:00

I am finally done with my treatments. I haven't had the final scans yet to get the all clear but I am feeling good. I am going to the doctor at the end of the month to see where we go from here. We will also decide if and when I have to get my seven spinal taps I missed because of my clot. We are having a great holiday season knowing part of this mess is behind us. Thank you for all of your prayers, your support is amazing. Hope everyone has a Happy Holidays!!!

Latest Updates...

2010-10-17T20:10:00.009-04:00

I am down to my last two treatments. Time could not move fast enough. I will be done just before Thanksgiving. I will still have to have 7 spinal taps where they will put chemo into my spine because the chemo I am doing now does not cross the spine barrier. I should have been having the spinals with all of my treatments but after my blood clot back in July we had to put them on hold until the clot became clearer. That has happened but we still have not been cleared by the neurologist. With as many scares as we have had we have to make sure all basis are covered.

Emily and Ashley both competed in Reflections for school this year.
The theme was Together We Can...
Each finished with Together we can find a cure for cancer.

Ashley took a pic of me and won second place.

Emily drew a pic of us in front of the hospital. She brought home a ribbon for participating.

It was a great way for them to express what they are feeling.

#1 Again

2010-09-20T08:53:00.003-04:00

Just a few more updates about what's going on with the cancer mess. Chemo is going good and working great. Only have 3 more left and a couple spinal taps then it is just monitoring. Thanks for all the support and prayer from everyone. I know that is where I get all of my strength.

This weekend I got to go to my first gymnastics meet. Emily has been having a great season and didn't disappoint this time either. She got 4th on Beam and 1st on Bars, Vault, Floor and All-Around, the second time this season she took 1st in All-Around.

2nd Place Team

Way to go Em.

Updates!!!

2010-07-20T10:08:00.002-04:00

Just wanted to give everyone a few updates from our last round of Chemo. We did have a couple setbacks like a massive migraine that lasted over 20 days. Thought to be from a spinal tap but ended being a major blood clot in my jugular vein. After spending several days in the ICU, blood thinner and anti-seizer meds then the not so intense ICU, I had my second round of Chemo and have been home for almost two weeks getting ready to go in for my 3rd round. Have felt much better this time and have actually spent time with my kids. Thank you so much for all of your prayers, care and concerns. We appreciate everything that has been provided our family.

2010-06-04T15:06:00.002-04:00

Hi Everyone...Mike here. Shelley is lying in the hospital bed eating a "wonderful" tray of hospital food...so I'm going to update her blog.
I think Shelley has told everyone that she was diagnosed last week with Lymphoma. They actually said it's Aggressive Diffused B-cell Lymphoma.
Yesterday, when we came into the clinic for our daily blood draw, the doctors decided that Shelley should spend some time here at Emory Hospital. She has a couple of things that are elevated in her blood work-up that need to be watched.
This morning they did another biopsy and are now working to identify exactly what sub-type of lymphoma she has to then come up with a game plan. Later this afternoon Shelley will actually start what they call a pre-phase. This is where they give her a smaller version of the chemo cocktail they usually give. The idea is by doing so over the next five days they can see how her body will respond to the drugs, before they really get aggressive. So...Shelley will be here for atleast the next five days and possibly up to twelve days.
I'll try to keep this blog updated as things go, so you all can follow along if you like. Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers.

Eight Is Great!!!

2010-05-18T08:42:00.004-04:00

Our sweet princess Ashley celebrated her eight birthday on Sunday. She didn't want a party, she just wanted to go shopping at the mall with Emily.
Even with no party we still had a busy day. The girls got up so they could go to church with dad since mom didn't feel good. She came home opened a few presents then had to get ready for her two hour dance audition. She did awesome and yes she did make it, we really didn't have a doubt. Dance is her thing. She finally got home to open her presents or I should I say help CJ open her presents. We had a great day and finished off with her birthday dinner consisting of deviled eggs, pickles, vegetables and dip and german chocolate cake and ice cream. We are so lucky to have Ashley in our family. Ashley is such a loving little girl who is always willing to flash a smile, give and hug and a kiss to the point you have to stop her. We are so excited for October when we get to go back to Utah so she can be baptised with her cousin. It will be really special to have all of our families together.

Walking Wounded

2010-05-08T20:12:00.006-04:00

We have had some excitement, both good and bad since we have been home from Disney. Our front yard was re-landscaped and two trees that were taking over our house were removed, 100% improvement. We have a house and even a porch now.

BEFORE

AFTER When you have a sister is gymnastics and the other in dance it is only natural for their brother to want to be like them, Right??

Both Emily and CJ had little mishaps this week. Emily rolled her ankle in gymnastics and has to stay off of it for 7 days. She is lucky because it could have been a lot worse.
CJ had a fight with the concrete at our neighbors. I asked him what happen he said, I ride skateboard, I fall down, I hurt my head. After only a few tears he kept saying I ok, I ok, not so bad, I ok. He is just too cute. And yes we did have him checked out.

I received and email from the director of Ashley's dance studio and she is highly recommending that Ashley audition for Company, which is their performance group. I am so proud of her for making such a good impression on the director. She is a natural when it comes to dancing, just like her mother. Auditions are next week. We are keeping our fingers crossed.

SURPRISE--Disneyworld Here We Come!!!

2010-04-26T13:14:00.016-04:00

We have had a trip planned to Disneyworld for a couple of months the thing is, the kids had no idea we were even going. We made an excuse to take a trip to the Georgia/Florida border. We stopped and had a picnic lunch and let the kids run around.

We gave them gifts to give them a hint on where we were going. It took a minute to catch on but when they did the screaming began. Another surprise was waited for us in Florida, Grandma & Grandpa Marlin.

Our first stop was Seaworld. The girls both want to swim in the dolphin show when they grow up. CJ had a blast on the rides and watching the dolphins flip in the air. The constant smile and giggle he had were just pure joy. It was great.
Even Mike got in on the rides, I get car sick driving down the street so he gets the great pleasure of risking his life. He said the new ride at Seaworld was the scariest ride he has ever been on. I almost had to cash in his life insurance policy.

Later that night we went to a luau it was awesome. Makes me want to move to the islands. Ashley even went up on stage to hula. CJ was so exhausted he fell asleep still eating his chicken nuggets. He did wake back up and got to see most of the dancing.

Our next stop was Disney's Animal Kingdom.

The tree lady.

Next Stop...Disneyworld!!!

When CJ saw the real Buzz Lightyear he started screaming, he is the only character CJ was not afraid of and let me get a picture of him with.

Em & Ash sewing a quilt in Minnie's house like Grandma Barnett & Sharon.

Jack Sparrow has nothing on my pirate.

Thought CJ would be excited to see Buzz Lightyear's friend, obviously not.

So excited to meet Mickey & Minnie at 11:30pm.

Me & my girls.

Our last two days were spent at Hollywood Studios then back to Seaworld.
Handy Manny Rocks!!

Em & Ash on the Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground.

We love CARS!!

Grandma & Grandpa's last night.

One last swim before we go home.

What great memories.

Happy Easter!!!

2010-04-04T19:54:00.006-04:00

We had a great Easter weekend here in Georgia. Saturday was our annual Easter egg hunt and decorating eggs. Easter Sunday was Easter baskets, tons of candy, good food and tummy aches.

Emily getting so big.

Ashley always ready with a smile.

CJ having so much fun.

Look Dad what I found.

Look Em.

We love our Easter egg hunt.

Pretty eggs.

Carefully...

Making my own nest cupcake.

Yummy.

Working so hard on my cupcake, but I won't eat it.

Kirby & Jax chillin' enjoying the beautiful weather.

Double Digits Baby!!!

2010-03-27T20:58:00.005-04:00

Emily finally celebrated her double digit birthday on Friday. I can't believe my baby that I had only yesterday is growing up.

She is such a big help around the house and a great big sister, both Ashley and CJ just adore her. I just can't wait until she is at the babysitting age.

No more kiddie parties allowed so we had a pool party today with her friends from gymnastics. A covered and heated pool with a heater to sit by when you get out, can't beat that. They had a blast.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

2010-03-17T08:44:00.002-04:00

CJ's B-day

2010-03-01T08:49:00.005-05:00

My baby is three today. Where has the time gone? We celebrated Sunday since we were all home and he doesn't know the difference anyway. After church I put CJ down for his nap and then the girls and I started to decorate so we could celebrate when he woke up. He was happy to see all of the presents. He kept saying "I love presents." He opened to boring clothes first then got to the fun stuff, Transformers, costumes and Sportacus stuff. He was so excited and couldn't wait to put on the Spiderman costume until he saw his Sportacus one.

CJ doesn't like cake and ice cream but you can't have a birthday without it. We started to sing to him and he ran away. After they had burned what seemed like forever he decided he would try to blow them out. He had a tough time and just would blow and blow and blow. Finally they were out and he ran away again. Too Funny.

I hope they don't sing to me.

I don't know about this.

I'm outta here.

I just can't blow this thing out.

Finally!!

Dress Up

2010-02-25T08:54:00.006-05:00

I found a great website that has costumes 65% off so I bought a couple for CJ for his birthday. I didn't want the girls to be left out so Ashley is a woodland fairy and Emily is Wonder Women. CJ didn't want to put his pirate costume on until he saw Emily as a superhero. He was fascinated with her. When she went to bed he took over her Wonder Women costume and ran around the house saying superhero, superhero. He will be so excited when he opens his Spiderman and Sportacus costumes.

AAARRRRRR

Pirate or Benjamin Franklin???

Woodland Fairy

Wonder Women

Ashley couldn't stop laughing at CJ.

Super CJ

Georgia???

2010-02-13T19:57:00.003-05:00

I thought I was living in Georgia but with the weather yesterday I felt like I was back in Utah again.

Not enough snow for Ashley to have fun.

Emily, Jax & Kirby loved the snow.

The most snow we have had since we have been here.

The ground was at least covered this time.

Poor CJ couldn't go out because he has been too sick.

CJ's Tonsils

2010-02-13T19:55:00.003-05:00

Here is one of the growths on CJ's tonsils that we are getting checked out by the specialist the day after his birthday.

Twinkle Twinkle

2010-02-05T17:24:00.003-05:00

Ashley and CJ singing to the little baby we watch. How sweet. CJ was doing so good until Ashley started laughing at him. It was hard not to.

Click here to view this video

Sportacus

2010-02-05T17:17:00.002-05:00

CJ pretending to be his favorite superhero.

Click here to view this video

NO MORE CAST!!!

2010-01-06T15:35:00.003-05:00

Today I took Ashley to the Dr. to get her pins taken out and the new cast put on. After the cast was removed she had a little bit of a freak out seeing the pins sticking out of her arm. She was crying with the anticipation of having to remove them but to her surprise there was just a little pressure and blood and she was done. The x-ray looked so good the Dr. said she didn't have to have a new cast as long as she didn't do anything crazy, like gymnastics. We have to go back it 2 weeks for another check up and then hopefully get the all clear.

Nasty scaly skin that needs tons of lotion.

Christmas in Utah.

2009-12-31T21:29:00.007-05:00

We were lucky enough to go back to Utah for a quick trip over Christmas. The kids had a blast spending time with cousins they hadn't seen since we moved and playing in the snow of course.

Cousins from Vegas.

Ashley opened her new PJs and was asleep before anyone else.

Our new PJs.

SURPRISE!!!

My niece and nephew didn't know we hitched a ride on Santa's sleigh to be in Utah for Christmas.

Lovin the snow.

Until Daddy threw me in.

Cousins from Arizona came to see us too.

Visiting the lights at Temple Square.

Our Visit with Santa

2009-12-13T10:13:00.006-05:00

The kids got to visit with Santa last night. It was great, he came to our neighborhood clubhouse and spent individual time with each of the kids. The line took forever, but it was worth it. CJ was so excited to see him but when it came right down to it he chickened out, of course.
I can't wait to see Santa.

CJ with Mrs. Claus

Santa checking out Ashley's cast.

I want a...

I want a digital camera and some Nikes.

Santa I want a hug.

I DON'T THINK SO!!!

Santa signed my cast.

Finally on the mend.

2009-12-02T12:44:00.002-05:00

Ashley has finally started them mending process and can I tell you this has been the longest five days ever. Back to the beginning, we went to the park on Saturday and were not there ten minutes when Ashley fell off a bar she was swinging on and landed with her right arm behind her. I knew it was broken right away so off the the emergency room we went. We arrived at the ER by 3:30, she was in surgery by 6:00, which was the only way to fix the break that was just above the elbow, and home by 8:30. It was a crazy night. She has been in a temporary cast until today when she got her green and pink hard cast. We go back to the Dr. next week for a check up and in four weeks she gets the wire taken out that is holding the break together, another cast for two more weeks, then cross our fingers she will be in the clear and hopefully healed. Thanks to everyone for all of your concern and well wishes she is doing great.

State Champ 2009

2009-11-24T19:54:00.007-05:00

Emily finished her competition season last weekend with her state meet. She did a great job. She finished 6th on Bars and Vault and finished 8th All Around. The team is already working toward their next season. The work never ends.

Emily always gets a fresh new bob after the seasons over.

The Home Stretch

2009-11-09T13:11:00.004-05:00

There is light at the end of the tunnel. Emily had her last meet last night. She did a great job and ended up with four more metals and her 2nd highest all-around score. The team took 3rd overall. Her next meet is State in two weeks, then she starts preparing for next season.

Happy Halloween!!!

2009-10-31T21:34:00.005-04:00

Emily is a vampire gymnast.

Ashley is a cheerleader and dinner.

CJ is Buzz Lightyear.

Carving Pumpkins

2009-10-30T08:35:00.009-04:00

Last night we got to carve our pumpkins. This is the first time in nine years that I didn't have to do most of the work. Emily and Ashley worked really hard trying to finish their pumpkins by themselves. They did a great job they just needed a little touch up to let the light shine through better.

CJ had a little help from Daddy.

We Love Gymnastics!!!

2009-10-21T20:41:00.004-04:00

Emily had another great meet this weekend and ended up with five more medals.

Ashley got her new spirit leo today and was so excited to wear it. The girls get to wear them once a week to recognize the team girls and all of the hard work they put in.

#1 Baby

2009-10-05T09:39:00.004-04:00

For the second time this year Emily won All-Around in Gymnastics. She has been struggling on her beam routine, she keeps falling off after her cartwheel, so I told her I would give her $5.oo if she got a medal on the beam. She must of just had a mental block because she not only got a medal but she got her highest score yet on the beam. She took 3rd on the Beam and 1st on the Vault, Bars, Floor and All-Around. The team also took 1st for the meet. We are so proud of them, they all did a great job.

Our girls took 1st, 2nd, 3rd & 4th in All-Around.

Lions & tigers & bears oh my...

2009-10-03T19:45:00.007-04:00

CJ has been watching Madagascar lately and we have had such beautiful weather here since the floods that I thought it would be a good idea to go to the zoo today. The kids had so much fun. We saw baby gorillas playing around swinging from their ropes, the baby panda, the zoo keeper feeding the elephant at the fence right in front of us, pet the goats at the petting zoo, but the favorite part for the kids was the merry-go-round and the rock wall. The girls did so good on the wall. Emily sped up and down twice in no time at all. Ashley is so little that she had a hard time even reaching the grips but she worked really hard and was able to make it to the top. We had a great day making memories.

You can pick you friend, you can pick you nose but you can't pick your friends nose. Typical CJ.

This is so much fun.

Updates...

2009-09-26T09:56:00.006-04:00

I just wanted to update the happenings with the kids. We have been out of school for a week now due to the floods in Georgia. We were lucky to have very minimal damage, just a couple of leaks though the foundation. We did have to boil water all week but that was lifted Friday.

Emily is still competing and working hard at gymnastics. She has four more meets until the season is over.

Ashley is also working hard at gymnastics and loving every minute of it. She has stopped picking on CJ so much and is a big help in taking care of him. She can't wait until Christmas when she gets to see all of her family.

CJ, where do I begin. He is such a funny kid. The girls just can't get over the crazy stuff he does. He loves to be naked, he does keep his diaper on though, thank goodness. I dress him in the morning to take the girls to school and he starts to undress as soon as we get home. On the plus side I rarely have to do his laundry. He also loves to sing and role play. He runs around the house playing the characters he sees on TV. His latest is a superhero/cowboy and of course he is naked.

Jax

2009-09-06T17:19:00.003-04:00

We have added another member to our family, actually we are in the process. As most of you know we adopted Kirby, our Jack Russell a year ago and have thought about getting another dog to keep him company. Kirby is very aggressive toward other dogs so we thought maybe a companion would help. I was shopping yesterday and happened to stroll through the pet adoption and there he was my yellow lab that I have wanted forever just staring at me. So after much consideration, a whole 5 minutes, I asked what I needed to do to get him home. Together the shelter and I decided it would be best to foster him for a week to see if Kirby could behave with someone new. I had a little training session with the owner of the shelter, she told me exactly what to do and how to bring them together. After a rough start and a couple of I want to rip your face off episodes from Kirby, I had them sitting together and eating treats side by side. Kirby has tried to show Jax that he is the boss but Jax pretty much just sits of Kirby and that stops the threats. He is a year old and is the sweetest thing ever. The girl get so excited because when he looks at you he looks like he is smiling. CJ loves to chase him around and pull his tail. Since it has worked so well I have to finalize all of the vet appts. fill out the paperwork and pay his adoption fees and he is ours.

I don't know about this???

One year later.

2009-08-23T17:21:00.010-04:00

What a difference a year makes. Last year at this time Emily had just finished her first meet with very poor results. She was the only one on her team that didn't get a medal. She was crying, I was crying and I didn't know how to comfort her and make it all better. Emily just didn't understand why she was the only one not going home with a medal. She of course did better as the year went on but it was still very difficult. It was a great learning opportunity for all of the team, but like I said what a difference a year makes. Our motto is...When you try your best you are the winne(Thanks Belle) and boy she is a winner. She did awesome. She took Fourth on Vault 8.50 , Second on Beam 8.80, and First on Floor 8.700 and Bar 9.150 which put her in First for All-Around 35.150. Everyone was so excited for her because they all shared in her disappointment last year. Way to go Emily.

Emily, you rock the house.

I couldn't get the video to download but you can check it out on our picture blog...
http://bigfishmarlin.shutterfly.com/

It's Back...

2009-08-08T18:38:00.005-04:00

The 2009-2010 gymnastics season officially began today with Emily's mock meet. She did such an amazing job. She is a completely different gymnast from last year. She is so confident and loving every minute on the floor.

CJ

2009-08-05T16:40:00.007-04:00

CJ is such a character. He always keeps us laughing. Here are some of the latest funny CJ moments.
Hairdo to fit his personality...

Dancing Queen...

I love ice cream!!!

Ready for school...

Am I cute or what!!!

I'm a big girl now...

2009-07-20T17:11:00.002-04:00

After many years of anguish and uncertainty, Ashley finally took the plunge today and got her ears pierced. She was so nervous she couldn't stop shaking. After picking out her earrings she asked me to hold her hand, with the death grip no less. When the first ear was done she just looked at me and said that wasn't bad at all. She just laughs now when we talk about how scared she was.

The Next Tiger Woods

2009-07-20T16:51:00.005-04:00

Yes, we are still alive here is Georgia, I have just hit the... I don't really want to blog right now phase as I think everyone does from time to time. I even started a picture blog so I don't have to do anything but post pics. So if there is a post here it will be short and sweet.
This is our retirement plan either a professional golfer, football player, hula dancer or a hair dresser. What a stud.

Seems like only yesterday...

2009-06-04T20:26:00.003-04:00

After 10 years of marriage, 3 beautiful children, moving 7 times, too many job changes, relocating across the country and many other ups and downs, the handsome prince and the fair maiden have come a long way from their humble beginnings in their single-wide trailer. They feel truly blessed for all they have and all they have been through. They are excited and look forward to the next chapter in their life. Who knows what it will bring...

Happy 10th Anniversary!!!
I Love You

Silly Pics

2009-05-21T09:45:00.004-04:00

I love ice cream.

My birthday cake is yummy.

Kiss Me Baby

My Gymnasts

2009-05-20T21:02:00.007-04:00

Here are the girls with a couple of their gymnastic moves in the front yard. Sorry about the background noise and yelling to stop Ashley from cartwheeling into the street.

Ashley and her Cartwheels

Emily's Back Tuck/Back Layout

Happy Birthday Ashley!!!

2009-05-15T22:38:00.002-04:00

Our little princess is turning seven today. I just can't believe how time flies. Ashley is such a sweet little girl but can turn around and be a complete spit fire. She is a great big sister, and CJ just adores her. Ashley is sensitive of others and such a loving child, she is always ready to give out a hug and a kiss. We love you Ashley. Happy Birthday.

#1 Baby!!!

2009-05-03T11:32:00.009-04:00

We may have some sibling rivalry going on in the Marlin household. Ashley has been moved from rec. gymnastics to pre-team which preps her to compete like Emily. She had a mini-competition this weekend and won the All-Around for her age group. It was awesome. She did such a great job.

Getting ready...

Superstar in the making...

Chillin' waiting for my turn.

#1 Baby!!!

So proud of both my girls.

Buzz

2009-05-03T11:25:00.003-04:00

Time for the buzz cut. Yes his head looks ginormous, but it is so much easier to take care of.

Easter

2009-04-14T17:31:00.002-04:00

We had a fun Easter with decorating eggs, a visit from the Easter Bunny, tons of candy and a yummy dinner with lots of leftovers.

Spring Break

2009-04-14T16:16:00.013-04:00

The girls lucked out this year and had an extra long spring break (10days). My sister and her kids came from Utah for a long weekend. The kids had so much fun together. It has been almost a year since we have seen them. There was a lot of playing and tons of giggles.

Hopefully we don't have to wait another year before we see them.

More giggles...

Am I cute or what?

Rockin' on the Wii.

We had our annual Easter Egg Hunt. CJ thought it was so cool. He really didn't know what was going on, he just knew that these eggs he was finding had candy in them.

And even more giggles...

Happy Birthday Emily!!!

2009-03-26T08:22:00.003-04:00

We get to have another birthday this month. Emily is nine today. I can't believe how big she is getting. She has grown up so fast and is turning into a beautiful young lady. She is a great big sister and loves to help me take care of CJ. She is already looking forward to next year when she will be in the double digits.
Happy Birthday Emily. We Love You!!!

Sports Illustrated

2009-03-22T19:50:00.003-04:00

Michael has now had his 15 minutes of fame. He was on the cover of Sports Illustrated, not for basketball, football or golf but for insurance. American Family is new in Georgia and to get their name out they have been on billboards, magazine covers and in magazine ads to promote the company. He was also on the cover of Southern Living and on Good Morning America. The girls think it is pretty cool to have a dad that is famous.

Happy Birthday CJ

2009-03-01T19:44:00.008-05:00

My baby turned two today. Time flies so fast. I feel like it was just yesterday that I was going through 26 hours of labor, not progressing and begging the doctor to take him by c-section. After he was born with a giant melon for a head, we knew why he took so long coming out. He was too big, almost 10 lbs. too big. Even though my stomach is still a pile of mush and it looks like I just had him, I wouldn't trade it for anything. CJ is so sweet and such a blessing to our family. Since he is our last, I am taking advantage of the baby in him for as long as I can.

CJ was excited this morning opening presents even though he has no idea what is going on. I have been teaching him to say "two" when someone asks how old he is. Stangers ask him all the time what his name is and they expect him to carry on a conversation because he is so big. They have a hard time believing he is as young as he is. He has started talking and is trying to repeat everything we say.
CJ was definitely spoiled for his birthday.

CJ loves anything that involves a ball.

Grandma and Grandpa Marlin gave CJ a sand/water table.

I don't know who likes it more my little kids or my forty year old.

Make a wish...

Silly CJ

2009-02-06T19:52:00.012-05:00

Not much has been happening in Georgia since our last update. We found out that it does snow here and the kids went crazy when they saw it coming down.
This is the extent of our snowfall. Pretty sad.

CJ has been growing up way too fast. He will be two in a couple of weeks. He is so funny and getting such a cute personality. He is finally starting to talk but he does have some issues. He will not wear shoes. He will only wear sandals and if we are lucky he will sometimes wear socks with them. Fashion statement I know (Aunt Sharon would be so proud). I do get a lot of looks and sometimes comments about how I could let him wear sandals in the cold weather. I'm sure if they had to see the temper tantrum I had to face they would keep their opinions to themselves. We did have a breakthrough today. He loves the Disney Cars and I found some on shoes on clearance. He tried them on and he hasn't taken them off since.

They even light up.

He wouldn't even take them off while he took his nap.

This is what happens to an only boy the two older sisters.
Pretty Boy.

CJ loves to have his picture taken. What a stud.

Mommy's Little Helper

2009-01-12T11:27:00.002-05:00

CJ loves to help around the house. The other day I was doing laundry after emptying the dryer to fold the clothes in the other room I came back and CJ had disappeared.

PEEK-A-BOO

I hope that door is sturdy.

Christmas 2008

2008-12-27T09:35:00.014-05:00

Christmas has come and gone again. We had a great time. I have been telling the girls since we moved that we would redecorate their rooms. I thought why not do it for Christmas so for the first three days of their vaction I have been working like a mad women trying to paint two bathrooms and two bedrooms and decorate before Christmas. I did it and they loved them. They each have a little sitting/reading area made for their new chairs.

CJ was busy getting into trouble with Ashley's underwear and yes they were clean. He was having way too much fun. He wouldn't take them off.

We always try to have a spiritual message Christmas Eve but our trouble maker made it very difficult to feel the spirit when he was tackling and trying to wrestle everyone. We did find a solution. I just don't know why we didn't think of it earlier.

Please do not turn me in for child abuse, he did do this himself and for some reason he loves it. We did finish our message but were laughing at him the whole time. After our story the kids got to open their PJ's.

We almost forgot the cookies and milk for Santa and veggies for the reindeer.

We actually got to sleep in Christmas morning until 7:30. The girl were up early but didn't even make a peep. When I came out they were jumping up and down showing me that Santa had found us in Georgia.

Family was very good to us this year.

Ashley rockin' it like Hannah Montana.

We hope all of you have a Happy New Year.

All I Want For Christmas...

2008-12-08T21:02:00.002-05:00

All Ashley wants for Christmas is her two front teeth. This is what happens when your brother's ginormous head hits your mouth.

State Champ!!!

2008-12-07T20:00:00.006-05:00

We have a State Gymnastics champ in the Marlin household. This weekend we traveled to Southern Georgia for Emily to compete in her State meet. This has been a long time coming. All the girls on her team were really anxious and nervous. Emily and two other teammates competed on Saturday so the rest of the girls and their families came for support. It was so good for the girls to hear their team cheering. She had a great meet. She took 4th on vault, 9th on floor, 11th on the beam and 13th all-around. She slipped on the bars and there is just no room for mistakes at State so she missed out on that medal. Emily has had a lot of struggles on her beam and hasn't won a medal all season and for her to get a medal during State, she is over the moon. We are so proud of her and all of her hard work. There is no rest though, starting Tuesday they get right back to work on the next level skills and routines. She wouldn't change it for anything. Good Job Emily. YOU ROCK!!!

Her Big Sis Belle gave her a Build A Bear that she recorded in and said "When you try your best you are the winner." We have adopted that as our motto.

Way to go M & M.

Family Updates...

2008-11-18T12:42:00.004-05:00

I'm sure you are wondering if I am playing favorites since I usually am blogging about Emily. She just has more excitement going on in her life. When State is over I don't know what to blog about. Updates on my other children... CJ is a total boy and he has become a sort of birth control. He is a really good boy but he is just that a BOY. My girls would sit and play quietly in the corner but if it is quiet he is definitely up to no good. The latest is finding black fingernail polish from Halloween and breaking the bottles together all over my new hardwood floors. (No damage to CJ) The positive side it wasn't on my cream carpets. He has also started writing on the walls. I have several friends that have at least three boys or more. I just don't know how they hang on to their sanity. We have decided it was good he was #3 because we may not have had anymore after him. Ashley is growing like a weed. She is still petite but people think she is at least five instead of three. (She's 6) She is in gymnastics with hopes to be able to compete someday like her sis. She is also very creative. Her drawings are so artistic and detailed. It is hard to decide what to keep and what to get rid of so I pretty much keep it all. Mike is working hard. His agents have started training and will be selling in January. He loves his job and is excited for future possibilities. They haven't started the advertising yet but he has had a real photo shoot with hair, make-up and stylist all the works. I have proofs of the billboards and magazine covers but I can't post them until they are out. How funny will it be to see my husband on the cover of a magazine when I am in the store or driving down the road and see him on the side of a building. Crazy. As for me I am doing my job as maid, cook, chauffeur, doctor, teacher and everything else that goes with being a mom. I wouldn't change it for anything. I am really grateful Michael works hard so I can stay home.

Our New Home In Georgia

Spongebob Squarepants

Self Portrait

State...Here We Come

2008-11-17T22:36:00.006-05:00

Emily's gymnastics season has finally come to an end. She ended on a high note with third on vault and fourth on floor. Now she is preparing for State in three weeks. At gymnastics they have a big sis/little sis program for the girls to have someone to look up to that know what fears and excitements they are going through. They also give each other a goody bag before their meets for goodluck (note the teddy bear Emily is usually holding). Emily's big sis Belle broke her foot so she has had a rough season. She didn't get to compete in her state competition so her and her family came to support Emily which was so thoughtful. It has been a busy and time consuming season but we wouldn't trade it for anything. To see the joy on Emily's face when she is doing gymnastics is priceless. We are so proud of her. Ashley is waiting in the wings to pass her sister up.

Getting Ready

Belle & Emily

My Medals

Yummy!!!

2008-11-09T20:30:00.006-05:00

CJ has really come into his personality lately. He is just so funny. He has also become extremely picky in what he eats. On Friday we had spaghetti to give Emily carbs for her meet. Nobody likes spaghetti or at least that is what I thought.

I got the karaoke machine out and this is what I found. How sweet.

CJ loves playing in the dishwasher and of course he loves to take out the knives. To distract him from that I have started to have him help me put the dishes away. I have to really watch him though he has started to put dirty dishes away. He thinks he is such a big helper.

Almost Done

2008-11-09T20:21:00.003-05:00

Emily had another meet this weekend. She took fifth on vault and sixth on bars.
Her season is almost over. We have a meet this weekend and then State competition the first week in December.

November Already

2008-10-31T22:14:00.002-04:00

I cannot believe how time flies. Halloween is over and Christmas is around the corner. We had a busy week this week. Our first visitors to Georgia were here. Mike's parent came from Utah after visiting Ohio and his brother Pete was working here so his wife Heather took a few days off and came too. It was great to spend time with everyone. The kids were so excited to see familiar faces. We also had New Kids and Halloween. The kids had fun going trick or treating. They loaded up on candy. Every door the kids went to CJ tried to walk in. We had to put him in the stroller after a while. He couldn't figure out why people were giving him candy. He then ended up choosing to eat fish crackers over the candy. Of course we had to cut it short because the kids were complaining how tired they were just like every other year.

Sixteen Again

2008-10-31T21:07:00.002-04:00

This week I got to relive my teenage years. I took Emily and Ashley to see New Kids On The Block. Two days after my sweet sixteen my Mom took me, my friend Carrie, Sharon and a friend of hers to see them and can you believe it was 18 years ago. I feel so old. It was hilarious to see every seat in the arena filled with middle aged women with their giant buttons. It was really surprising to see how many men brought their wives. I even saw a 300 lbs. bald guy with his giant Jordan button. It was so funny. It has been a long time since I have been out and I am not use to everyone around me completely drunk. My kids had more fun watching all the crazy women dancing and singing. Our seats were OK. We could see good enough especially with giant screens but they ended up having a small stage right down in front of us so halfway through the show they came and song in front of us for a while. It was getting really late especially for two little girl so we left early since we still had an hour to drive home. We had a great time and I know the kids will remember it forever.

A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Gymnastics...

2008-10-20T19:06:00.007-04:00

I guess with the weekend we had you have to find the positives. Yes this weekend was another meet. First we have had the bug at our house and this week it was Ashley's turn. She had a fever for two day but still wanted to go support Emily, she was on antibiotics so the doctor said it was OK. We started out first thing Saturday morning since the meet was an hour and a half away, we almost had to turn back after about 15 min thinking I left the flat-iron on, I didn't (I hope). Forty-Five minutes later a Good Samaritan was yelling at us that we had a flat tire. We pulled off the first exit we could and started to change it. I called our Team Mom to tell her Emily might be late. She totally saved us. They were behind us and picked her up. Mike took 4 of the 5 lug nuts off and the fifth was bigger than all of the others and what do you know the tire iron that came with the van would not fit. The genius at the dealership that rotated our tires put the wrong nut on. We called our insurance co. for roadside assistance and waited 45 min for them to show up. In the meantime we were in a church parking lot with people coming and going and nobody offered to help. It probably didn't help that Mike was pacing with the tire iron. We finally changed the tire and headed to Costco good news the wait was only 45 min. bad news we needed all new tires so $500 later we were on the road again. We still had to drive 45 min. to the meet. Magic number for the day 45. We made it 15 min. before the meet ended and got to see Emily on the bars. Team Mom Jennifer saved us again and taped all of her routines. She ended up taking 5th on the floor. The fun times don't end there. While I was taking a picture of Emily getting her medal Ashley threw-up. She was such a trooper. She ended up having one last fever that night and is now getting better. You have to figure it was really a blessing in disguise. We almost turned around for the flat-iron and Emily would have ended up missing the meet. Mike is out of town this week and I would have had to deal with the flat tire by myself. We also have to pay our first house payment and Mike worked it out so it will come out of our next paycheck so we had money for the tires. This couldn't have worked out any better for a bad situation. We also drove by where we get to see New Kids on the Block next week. ROCK ON!!! Yes I am reliving my teenage years. Updates on that later.

Halloween Already

2008-10-13T09:36:00.007-04:00

We have been getting ready for Halloween here at the Marlin's. We made Halloween cookies for FHE and got to go to the pumpkin patch this weekend. The girls go to a brand new 16 million dollar school and they could not shell out a couple of thousand more for a playground so every other week there is a new fundraiser. For the fundraiser this week we got to have a pumpkin patch in our neighborhood. I was to cheap and didn't want to spend the $5 for pumpkins at Walmart and what do you know we ended up paying a fortune for the three we picked this weekend. I just keep telling myself it's going to a good cause. They had fun and that is all that matters.

Metro Retro

2008-10-05T08:11:00.005-04:00

She finally did it. Emily got her first medals last night and is ecstatic. Every meet is different some give ribbons and some give medals. She has gotten several ribbons before but ribbons just don't make the same noise as having those medals around your neck. She got Fourth place in Vault, Floor and All Around. Her team took Third overall and because she has improved so much on her beam she got the be the one to bring the trophy home.
Way to go Emily.

Picture Day

2008-09-26T09:44:00.003-04:00

Today is picture day at school and since I am so cheap and school pictures are such a rip-off these are probably the only school pics we will get.

Our Adoption

2008-09-21T17:25:00.002-04:00

Our adoption went through today. We have a happy healthy three year old boy. Can you believe it #4. He is so sweet. He loves attention and loves to cuddle.
We named him Kirby.

All I Want For Christmas...

2008-09-16T19:15:00.004-04:00

All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth
or at least one for now.

My Superhero

2008-09-12T18:52:00.003-04:00

I thought I would copy my friend Michelle's blog when she decided to show off her three superheros. I found these PJs at target on clearance and couldn't resist. He loves them. Since he only has girls to look up to I know he will be painting his nails and wearing lipstick before to long. These are the perfect.
I feel safer already.

FINALLY!!!

2008-09-11T20:28:00.002-04:00

We are officially Georgia residents. We finally closed on our house today. YEAH!!! Let the decorating begin. The girls cannot wait to decorate their rooms. They were excited about moving when they knew they could have their own rooms and help decorate. Fun times ahead.

Don't you love the view from my back porch.

I WISH!!!

Last Swim

2008-08-31T21:31:00.002-04:00

Yesterday we invited a couple of the girls friends to go swimming as a last farewell to our summer before our pool closes. They had a blast. Tyler has been totally smitten with Emily since we moved here. His sister completely hero worships her. Afterward we came back to the house to eat and play for a couple of hours. When their mom came Tyler was begging her to come back. It is so funny. Maybe this will be my future son-in-law. I figure at least I was on their first date.

Mama's Boy

2008-08-31T21:07:00.003-04:00

CJ has been such a big helper lately. I was cleaning our hardwood floors the other day, I would spray the cleaner then mop. He went in the cupboard and found the spray bottle and found my old Swifer mop and started coping me. It was so funny. This afternoon after church I found him clomping around the house in my shoes. I decided I better be a good example because monkey see monkey do.

Our New Pet

2008-08-31T20:14:00.003-04:00

This is our new friend Mike found in our backyard yesterday. "Thou Shall Not Kill Mike" won't let me take care of it. He keeps telling me how good they are and how many bugs they kill. I really don't care, even though it's not poisonous I don't want it in my backyard. Yes I am evil.

Mock Meet

2008-08-23T13:16:00.003-04:00

Our competition season for gymnastics has officially started. Emily has been up since 6:00 bouncing off of the walls. I had to send her to watch TV, she was giving me a headache. We are having a mock meet today to practice what the real thing will be like and to get the leo and hair just right. When I dropped her off at the gym the nerves were starting to get to her and she looked like she was going to throw up. She has warm-up for an hour an a half so I know they will be gone soon. Wish her luck.

She had a blast and did a great job. She begged to take her hair out. It was way to tight, but didn't move.

Summer Is Over!!!

2008-08-18T09:35:00.004-04:00

Summer is finally over in the Marlin household. It is hard to believe but school started today. I am going to miss not spending all day with the girls but it will be nice to finally be on a set scheduled after our crazy summer. CJ didn't know what to do this morning when they left without him. He was not very happy. Emily is starting third grade. Ashley is in first grade and going all day for the first time. We get to go to a brand new school. With over 700 kids. Our old school maybe had 300 at the most. It seems really nice the kids were so excited this morning.

Peek-a-Boo

2008-08-18T09:13:00.004-04:00

CJ has a favorite hiding place. Every time we open the fridge he climbs in and starts to play peek-a-boo. Luckily his head is so huge he can't close the door on himself.

Settled In...Almost

2008-08-08T12:57:00.004-04:00

We are almost finally home. If you didn't already know we have been renting our house here. We didn't sell our house in Utah so we had no money down for this house. Because of that and the kind of loan we are getting our mortgage broker told us we couldn't close for six months because we had lived here. Yes it is confusing. Come to find out he doesn't know what he is talking about. It's not our fault though the couple we are buying the house from referred us to him. Our new guy told us we could hopefully close within the month if we can get all of the required paperwork in. We have an incentive from the seller that if we close by September they will give us $2000. With that money and the extra we have throw in for our monthly payment we will have about $5000 down. Not much but it's better than nothing. Good news is that the house appraises for $20,000 more than we are buying it for so we will have a good chunk of equity which will be nice. We don't want to send We've Moved cards until the house is for sure ours.

Other happenings, we have join the real world of gymnastics. It is definitely different here. Emily goes 3 days a week 9 hours a week and she will start competing next month every other weekend for the next 4 months. It makes me tired just thinking about it. Ashley has taken off her dancing shoes and has started gymnastics again just one day a week. CJ even started today. He also goes one day a week. I get to help him and believe me hauling a 40 lbs kid around is a workout in itself. He loved it. He was so exhausted by the end he almost fell asleep while we were running errands. School starts in about a week. We will definitely start to feel at home after that.

Buzzzzzz

2008-07-28T22:41:00.002-04:00

We figured one haircut was just not enough. The first of many buzz cuts.

Fun Times!!!

2008-07-28T20:52:00.003-04:00

My sister just sent me some pics of the kids having fun with their cousins before we left Utah.

CJ's First Haircut

2008-07-11T20:00:00.002-04:00

My baby is growing up. We waited until we couldn't wait anymore. We finally cut the curls off. Daddy was getting his hair cut today so he held CJ, I gave him a sucker and let her cut away. We did save a huge curl for our scrapbook though. We would have liked it shorter but didn't want to freak him out with the clippers on his first haircut. We wanted this to be as positive as possible. So now I have a little boy.

Our Last Day

2008-07-01T00:48:00.002-04:00

We were going to see one more park before we went home but we just decided to go back to Disney to get our souvenirs and then head home. We ended up walking the park to find the coolest things we could then Emily ended up getting something at the last store before you get to the parking lot. I commented to Michael I was disappointed we didn't see any characters. On our way out someone stopped us and asked if we had met any of the princesses. We told her no, then she took us in a room for a one on one with who else but Cinderella. I think I was more excited than the girls. She talked to them for a couple of minutes and took some pics. It was great. Then we headed home. Now it is back to reality for us.

SeaWorld

2008-07-01T00:21:00.002-04:00

Our third day we stayed around the pool and slept but our fouth day we had an amazing day at SeaWorld. First ride of the day the kids were soaked from head to toe. Next we had to see Shamu. Michael sat us in the slash zone. We were six rows up and when Shamu came out we were not only soaked, we were drenched. Poor CJ didn't know what to think. He was freaking out screaming his head off until he heard the music and started to dance. We were wet the rest of the day. We saw the Budweiser horses. We got to pet stingrays. The girls fed dolphins and we watched the dolphin show from the first row. Luckily the dolphins are nowhere near as big as Shamu. Every time one went by CJ screamed thinking he would get wet again but we lucked out. Emily decided she has a new career. She wants to swim and train the animals at SeaWorld. We all agreed our family prefers SeaWorld over Disney.

DisneyWorld

2008-06-30T23:59:00.002-04:00

Our second day was a marathon day at DisneyWorld from 9:00am-11:30pm. We had a great time. We rode tons of rides and got soaked from the rain and Splash Mountain. We only got to see characters from a distance. Prince Charming smiled and winked at Ashley during the parade. We saw an amazing fireworks show and Michael is still having nightmares from the evil dolls from the It's A Small World Ride.

CoCo Beach

2008-06-30T23:22:00.002-04:00

We just got back from our summer vacation to Florida. Our first stop was the beach. We met our neighbors from Utah there, Paul and Diane. They were visiting her mother. It was so great to see familiar faces. The day could not have been more perfect no sun, no heat, no people and no sharks. CJ hated it. He cried for the first 30 min then I sat him on a towel and gave him a shovel. Next thing I know he had sand from head to toe and was eating it. We found tons of shells. The girls had a blast but we had sand in places we didn't know we even had.

We Moved!!!

2008-06-30T21:50:00.003-04:00

We have finally done it. We have moved 1958 miles across country and survived. We moved the end of May. We spent five days with Michael's parents then five days with my family for our last goodbyes. We had to live out of suitcases for 10 days and thought because it was close to summer, shorts and t-shirts would be OK. It was in the forties and snowed in the mountains. When we get here we have record breaking heat. Thank goodness for A/C. It is beautiful. We have a forest for our backyard and five pools to choose from. One is about two blocks from our house. We go swimming first thing in the morning and come home and hang out in the A/C in the afternoon and play the Wii. We can't wait for visitors.

Moving Up!!

2008-06-30T21:37:00.002-04:00

Emily is moving up another level in gymnastics. When we started her coach told us each level takes about a 1 1/2 years. She has moved to level 5 in three years and is in now in pre-team. We were told she will might start competing when we move.

Let's Dance

2008-06-30T20:52:00.003-04:00

Ashley had her last dance recital in May before we moved. She did such a great job. She is quite the dancer. They even gave her a solo in the last performance. They picked the best dancers out of over 175 girls and she was one of eight girls. She was the youngest and smallest. Some of the girls were seventeen. She held her own and was great.

So Much Fun!!!

2008-05-12T01:43:00.002-04:00

On Saturday we got to celebrate Ashley's birthday a little early. It is getting down to the wire for our move so we are cramming everything we can in the short time we have left. We rented a slide that took up our whole front yard, invited 16 kids over and let them go crazy. They had a blast. The best part was we had it for an hour and a half after the party. The kids and adults were exhausted by the end of it all. Ashley got lots of fun presents and the best part is she still gets to celebrate her real birthday on Friday (more presents, Yeah!!!).

Ashley's Party

2008-05-12T00:43:00.003-04:00

Emily's Baptism

2008-04-15T00:20:00.000-04:00

We had a special weekend. Our Emily was baptised on Saturday. We were lucky to have most of our family there to share in this special day. Afterwards we went out for all you can eat pizza and were stuffed. Later we went over to the hotel and got to go swimming. The kids had a blast and were exhausted by the end of the day. Emily feels all grown up know.

2008-04-15T00:18:00.001-04:00

It's great to be eight!

2008-04-09T19:43:00.000-04:00

We had a busy month in March for birthdays. Emily lucked out and got to have three parties.

Happy Birthday Emily

2008-04-09T19:41:00.001-04:00

CJ's Birthday

2008-04-09T16:42:00.001-04:00