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Sunday, May 31st, 2009

Growing Girl

05/28/2009 03:28

See those cute little green shoes? Anna was just running around in them last week.
This week…they don’t fit! One week size 5 shoes, the very next, size 6!

And see those looooooong legs? Where did they come from?!
Where did my chubby-baby-roll-legs go?

Mouths To Feed

05/21/2009 06:53

Cate has taken to feeding her little sister her applesauce/yogurt/cottage cheese.
For now, Anna doesn’t seem to mind to much.

Look, Ma! No hands!

Being the animal lover that I am (HA!) I just had to get a picture of these little mouths. We have kept an eye on this nest and got to see the birds right after they hatched. Even though I’m no amimal lover, I just couldn’t help feeling proud for the new Mama Bird and her sweet babies. Well, if I’m being totally honest, I also thought they would make for a cool picture.

And now, just a few more pictures of my sweet babies playing in the sun.
(Thank you for returning, sunshine!)

Remember?

05/17/2009 08:47

Remember those few days in April when it was 85 and sunny? Will that be back?
Will the warm weather ever come to stay? Sigh…

We even had the water table out!

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Buddies.

Daddy’s Girl

05/14/2009 03:22

Anna is a Daddy’s Girl through and through. She’s also SUCH a sweetheart.
Lately, out of the blue, she’ll look at you and say “I duhh (love) you”. It’s so sweet.

Here’s a picture from (one of the many nights) when she insists on her Daddy to put her to bed.

Gardens and Grandmas

05/11/2009 08:36

We had a nice Mother’s Day picking out plants for our garden and planting them.

Worms!!!!

So, Anna is now wearing the clothes that Cate was wearing the summer she was born. And although she’s been wearing Cate’s clothes all along, this particular stage is, well, freaking me out a little. When did we get such a big girl?!
Anyway, check out this picture…

Does it look familiar?

Anyone else freaking out?!
I admit, the Anna picture this year, may have been, er, staged. :0)
(Oooooooooh and don’t you LOVE the quality difference in the pictures?! Yay for the Nikon D60!!!)

And then, dinner at Grandma’s house. Anna loves Gram.

At the end of the day I realized that I hadn’t taken a picture with my girls!
They were less than cooperative, but we got it!

Happy Mother’s Day

05/07/2009 02:13

I have always known that my mom loves me. But I never knew just how much until I had kids of my own. I remember rocking Cate when she was just a tiny baby, staring at her, as I often did, and thinking, whoa! This is how much my mom loves me! Wow. My mom has always been my friend, my mothering mentor, and my rock. I love her so very much and am thankful for our amazing relationship every single day. Seeing her now as the grandma to my babies, is the icing on the cake. She’s awesome.
Happy Mother’s Day, Mom.

And while, you know, guys, aren’t as forward with their emotions….I happen to know that both Corey and I think the world of his Mama too. She’s fun and funny and always willing to lend a hand. She’s kind and caring and she loves us all so very much. She has a special way of tuning in to people, she knows just what everyone likes and dislikes. She takes the time to listen, really listen too. We can’t even begin to count how many times we’ve said, “We’re SO thankful our kids are so close to their grandparents.”
Happy Mother’s Day, Mama.

And so, this Sunday, I will enjoy a quiet day with my precious little family, and maybe spend a little time reflecting on the best gift my girls could ever give me, they’ve made me a mommy.

My beautiful “Happy Mother’s Day/Happy Last Day of the Semester” flowers. :0) Oh, and yes, school is done for the summer! I have LOVED teaching again and plan to return in the Fall, but for now, I’m going to enjoy, like every teacher should, my summer off.

Little Star

05/02/2009 09:10

A few weeks back I popped into Cate’s ballet class to grab a few shots of my beautiful ballerina. :0)
Here’s the “show” and a few of my favorites!

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Thursday, April 30th, 2009

My Bro’s Family

04/27/2009 09:29

I just came across these pictures I took after St. Baldrick’s of my brother and his beautiful girls.
Just thought I’d share…

LOVE YOUR MOTHER

04/22/2009 10:02

Happy Earth Day!

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And now…More Adventures of SWIM GIRL

04/20/2009 02:26

Meet SWIM GIRL! (Dah Da Dah Daaaaa!)
She’s brave, silly, and adventurous (especially if her Mama is close by)!

In her latest adventure, big girl swim lessons,
(swim lessons with no daddy, just the kids and the teacher) she was fearless!
Well, not so much a first…

At first, Swim Girl was a little scared. She wasn’t sure of that biiiiiiig pool and all of those kids!
She cried a bit, she wanted her Mommy.
So, her mommy gave her a few BIG hugs and told her, “Swim Girl, you CAN do it! I know you can do it!”

So, with the help of a friend in class who said, “It’s okay Swim Girl, this might be fun!”
And a teacher who carefully took her into the water…SHE DID IT!! She LOVED swim lessons!!!

We’re SO proud of our Swim Girl!

What adventures will the next big girl swim lesson bring? Tune in next week…

Swim Girl

04/17/2009 09:36

Goggles: $7.50. Bathing Suit: $9.99. Swim Lessons: $40.00.
Playing “Swim Girl”: Priceless…

Guess who’s in a big girl bed…

04/15/2009 04:23

IT’S ANNA!!!! We put a big girl bed in her room one day, she slept in it the next and we haven’t looked back. She LOVES her bed and (I know I could be jinxing it here) only got out of bed the first time she slept in it. Now, when we put her to bed she snuggles up and says, “I love you. Don’t get out of bed.” It’s so cute!!

Easter…Part Two

04/13/2009 04:25

We had a wonderful afternoon at the Senior Lenhart house.

Here are some pictures from the Easter Egg Hunt. I know I’m the mom, but seriously, these are some beautiful girls!

Oh! Would you look at that beautiful hair! This kid could be a hair model! Do they have kid hair models? Anyway…

Easter Morning

04/12/2009 01:41

Yes, I should be working on the cheesy potatoes, or cleaning or something…but here I am. We had such a nice morning with the girls, that I just had to share already. Hope you are having a Happy Easter!

Oh yea, the Easter Bunny went a little crazy. But, what’s a bunny supposed to do when Toys-R-Us has Fisher Price, buy one get one free?!

Anna found her basket!

I think Cate’s favorite thing was her Pirate water bottle! She said, “Oh I always wanted this!”.

Batting practice…

After French Toast, we headed outside for a walk and some play time.

Gotta love a man with a pink golf club.

Teeny tiny pink fingernails…

5 4 3 2 1…

04/09/2009 01:01

1 house, 4 adults, 5 kids ages 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1. 0 fits, 0 meltdowns, 0 fights. Not normal, I know. These kids were so good all weekend and had so much fun together. Cate, Emily and Colin had a sleep-over in Em’s room (and really slept!) and Anna even took a 4 hour nap on Saturday!

I love all of the crazy messy bed heads.

I love this one of Caden, he’s got me figured out! I think he’s the most content baby I have ever seen!

“Little” Emily. Isn’t she such a beauty! And smart and sweet and funny…. She actually just broke her arm last week and had a cast on past her elbow, but we never once heard her complain about it!

I can’t say enough about this little guy, Colin. He’s funny, silly, kind, respectful and so much fun!

Thanks for hosting us, Mon and Bryan, your kids rock.

Wedding Shower

04/07/2009 04:22

We spent the weekend in Cincinnati for Larissa’s bridal shower. It was so awesome to get to see ALL of my best girls 2 weekends in a row! The shower was so fun, and the most exciting part is that we’re that much closer to the wedding! We stayed at the Young house with 4 adults and 5 kids, and it was wonderful (more on that later)! For now, here are some pictures of the shower.

There’s nothing like a group of girlfriends who know all of your secrets, quirks, and faults…and love you anyway.

The “big girls”, Emily and Cate, got to go to the shower, and they were delightful little ladies.

Of course, even little ladies have their silly moments.

The beautiful bride-to-be and her sweet little niece.

An “edible arrangement” MADE by MONICA and JAIME! Oh yea!

Riss and her Mama.

Cate…I think she was yelling at the ducks because she could hear her echo.

More pictures of the weekend coming soon!

Tubby Time

04/03/2009 12:41

In a previous post I mentioned that Anna has a super silly side. Actually, both girls do and its the BEST when they are silly and laughing together. Here are some pictures from the tub, I guess its another example of trying to remember every little thing.

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Surprise!

04/01/2009 09:50

On Sunday, my girlfriends and I surprised Emily with a baby shower! It was soooooooo much fun and Em was totally and completely surprised.

Everything was lovely.

It was a “green” theme. I made some cute onezies, This one said, “Save Our Jungle Friends” another was “Future Tree Hugger”.

Em, her mama and sister.

Yes, she does have a belly! Isn’t she just adorable!?!!

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Monday, March 30th, 2009

Anna

03/26/2009 02:09

Throughout my days, I find myself trying to savor every single moment, every single cute little thing the girls do. I want to always remember what the girls look like at every age, what funny things they say and do, what they like to play with, and what makes them happy. Maybe that’s why I love photography so much? I guess I’m trying to freeze time, as time is what I see that is passing so very quickly.

I love this time in my life. My girls are so full of energy and life, so fun and funny, and so very loving. Anna is now 20 months, the age Cate was when Anna was born, it’s hard to believe. Anna is her very own little person. She is cuddly and loving. She is feisty and hard-headed. She has her own opinions and thoughts. Already, she has a great sense of humor and loves to giggle. She loves her big sister. She’s adventurous and has no fear. She loves to sing and dance. She’s a daddy’s girl.

Lately, she’ll ask you to pick her up, she’ll put her head down and then require that you sing “Twinkle Star”. She’ll talk on and on, jibber jabber mostly, then look at you and say, “Okay!” She loves listening to the birds outside. She loves to swing. She can count to 10. She loves drinking out of a big girl cup. She likes to “swim” in the tub. She’s already very good at pretending. She likes doing all things “big girl”.

I guess I love these images, because they are so Anna; inquisitive, flirty and overall, happy. I love how she’s holding her sippy, just the way she always does, in the first one. And I love how tiny her hand looks in the next…something I’ll never forget. Although missing from these images are her super silly, giggly sides. Don’t worry…they are coming soon!

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I love Spring Break…

03/23/2009 08:44

…my oldest niece’s, that is. Her Spring Break means that I get to hang out with her for a few days and I love it so. She is kind, funny, smart, sweet, and great with her younger cousins and sister.

She put everyone’s hair in cute little pony-tails.

The CateVac 2000

03/21/2009 08:34

Check out our new vacuum…it works great and is really cute.

Love those little piggies!

Finally…

03/19/2009 12:21

Can’t believe that it’s Thursday already! Anyway, here are some pictures from St. Baldrick’s on Sunday. It was such a great day, a great cause and so many great people came out. So far, the Canton event has raised $14,919.00, but it will still be some time until the final tally is ready. Thank you all so much for contributing.

Jake “before”.

Team “Balds-In-Laws”

The girls watching.

After.

Abbs.

BALD!

03/16/2009 08:12

Of course, I have LOTS of pictures…but here’s just a sneak peek. :0)

Our local newspapers were at the event. Here are the links to the articles.

The Canton Rep
If you click on “more related photos” on the left, you’ll see a picture of Jake.

The Massillon Independent
There was a photographer there…not sure where the photos are.

Randomness

03/11/2009 09:51

Yay! Corey has just exceeded his goal of raising $1,000 for Childhood Cancer Research! Wow. I am constantly amazed at how caring and generous our family and friends are. Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart. If you’re reading this and feeling the love…why not donate to a great cause. I’ll make it easy for ya, just CLICK HERE.

In other news, I made my radio debut on Tuesday morning, as a guest co-host on a local radio morning show. Although it wasn’t exactly what I expected (off the air, anyway) I guess it went pretty well. Hopefully, it helped to raise more cash money.

The Lenhart house has been a busy little place. We just continue to count our lucky stars for our happiness, health, and togetherness.

Okay, last here are some random picts of Anna. These were actually taken a week or so ago when she was sick and graham crackers were all she would eat. And also, both of our kids are just SUPER messy eaters, I don’t know what it is!

Okay, one more thing (I told you this would be random!) Here’s one more picture of Cate, doing what she does best….talking. Bless her heart, this kid can talk and talk and talk…..

Why St. Baldrick’s?

03/08/2009 02:43

Why St. Baldrick’s?

Because it’s an excellent way to honor my friend, Abbey Foltz.

Because she taught me things about life that make me the person that I am today.

She taught me about living each day to the fullest.

She taught me that it’s okay to feel, really feel, happiness…sadness, that it’s all part of this experience called life.

Because St. Baldrick’s is a good time…Abbey always loved a party.

Because I’m a mom.

Because I want to show my girls how to be passionate about a cause, cherish a good friend, and that giving back is fundamental.

Because losing Abbey was awful and this makes it feel a little better.

Because I have to do something. St. Baldrick’s is a way of helping, a way of making a difference.

We simply can’t thank you all enough for your support. Remember, the Canton St. Baldrick’s event is this Sunday, March 15 from 1-5 at the Winking Lizard. 10% of all food sales during this time will go to the St. Baldrick’s foundation. There will be a silent auction and raffle. Jake are Corey are scheduled for their shave at 1:15. If you would like to contribute, visit stbaldricks.org.

We love the library.

03/05/2009 08:15

We go to the library a lot. We love doing puzzles together and reading new books!

This picture is a little out of focus, but I just couldn’t resist that sweet face.

And what’s a trip to the library without running down the loooooong book isles. Look at those piggy-tails fly!

Cate loves to read.

Anna even got a little work done.

Our Beautiful Girls

03/01/2009 04:11

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Saturday, February 28th, 2009

The Dentist

02/26/2009 10:33

Cate had her first dentist appointment today and did great!! Corey took her and said that she was brave and funny and an awesome big girl. The only part that she didn’t like too much was “Mr. Thirsty” (the suction thingy). Both the hygienist and dentist were very impressed with her (of course).

St. Baldrick’s…In The News

02/23/2009 09:58

Just thought I’d share a nice article that was in The Massillon Independent today. I’ve been working hard to get some publicity for the big event, and was pleased with this article. Also…if you’re looking for a good laugh (or more evidence of what a dork I am) tune in to 101.7 on Tuesday, March 10th between 7am and 9am. I’ll be a guest co-host on the morning show, promoting St. Baldricks.

Heads will be shaved to honor memory of local girl, raise funds for cancer research
The Independent
Erin Pustay
Posted Feb 22, 2009 @ 08:36 PM
MASSILLON, OH —

Abbey Foltz danced her way through life.
She smiled brilliantly, loved unconditionally, she lived every day as if it were the warmest, sunniest, happiest day she was given.
That’s how family and friends will always remember her.
“Abbey was an inspiration as far as living goes,” Massillon resident Jaime Lenhart said of her close childhood friend. “She proved how important it is to enjoy day-to-day life and appreciate what you have right now. Every day, I am surprised by the things I learned from her: Unconditional love and happiness and fun. These were the things she was able to give to me as a gift when she was here.”
In 2000, Abbey, a student at The Ohio State University, passed away after having battled cancer since the age of 14. Today, her family and friends celebrate her legacy by giving to others.
This year, Lenhart is working with Abbey’s mother, Nancy Foltz, and aunt Sue Stevenson to help raise awareness and funds for childhood cancer research through the annual St. Baldrick’s Event.
Beginning at 1 p.m. March 15 at the Winking Lizard, 5710 Fulton Road N.W., more than 50 men, women and children are expected to shave their heads in order to contribute to the cause. The event works much like a walk-a-thon. Participants ask friends and family to donate before going bald for a good cause.
The goal is to raise $30,000 through the Winking Lizard event alone.
“Some people know somebody with cancer. Some are just inspired by the event and the kids we support,” Lenhart said of the people who have their heads shaved. “It’s really a great event. Some really exciting things happen every year … (because) you hear the stories people have to share. We laugh, we cry and we have a good time.”
There is no minimum donation to participate by having your head shaved. In fact, all area residents are invited to spend the afternoon at the Lizard, even if the clippers never touch their locks. A raffle and silent auction will be conducted throughout the afternoon and 10 percent of the restaurant’s food sales during the event will go toward the St. Baldrick’s cause.
“On top of being a great cause, it’s going to be really, really fun,” Lenhart said.
There is still time to get involved with the cause and sign up to have your head shaved to benefit childhood cancer research and support. Just go online to www.stbaldricks.org/events.
Since 2000, the St. Baldrick’s organization has raised more than $51 million through local events held across the nation.
•••
Abbey Foltz, a 1999 GlenOak High School Graduate, is honored every year by friends and family across Stark County through events such as St. Baldrick’s and a scholarship given annually to Plain Local grads.
This year, pianist Jim Brickman will perform a special concert at her alma mater to benefit the Plain Local Schools Foundation Arts Endowment Fund and the Abbey Foltz Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. show on April 23 are on sale now. Prices range from $250 meet-and-greet packages to $35 balcony seats.
For more information, go online to www.eagle.stark.k12.oh.us. To purchase tickets, call 330-491-3860.

One more thing..here’s Corey’s latest “hair-shot”. :0) As he has said before the sacrifice for him is letting his hair get longer, he’s already looking forward to the big shave!

So handsome!

Monkeys

02/22/2009 08:48

Sleeping Beauty

02/20/2009 12:44

Cate is really good at making up songs and singing them too. Here’s one she’s named “Sleeping Beauty”. Enjoy.

Corey’s Girls

02/17/2009 05:01

This was my Valentines present from Jaime and I loved it. Is it smokey in here?

Valentine’s Gifts

02/15/2009 04:03

We spent Valentine’s Day doing what we love to do, spending time together. While the girls do love spending time with mommy and daddy, they really liked going to “Build-A-Bear” too.

Cate made a bunny, named “Cate” and insisted on shoes for her (that’s my girl!)

Anna made a big pink monkey. The best part was watching her carry her monkey (that is almost as big as her!)
all through the mall, it was SO cute.

Hope you had a happy Valentine’s Day! <3

THIS JUST IN…

02/11/2009 01:59

If you’re thinking of supporting my head shaving hubby by donating to the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, you can now donate to the team “Balds-In-Laws” and help my head shaving brother too! Corey and Jake have joined together to form a team, since they have so many mutual friends and family. This means that you can donate to their individual names, or the team and it will go to the same great place. Thanks SO much for ALL of your support.

And just so I don’t get in trouble for 2 posts in a row with no picts of my girlies…

St. Baldrick’s

02/08/2009 01:49

We’re about 5 weeks away from an event that is so important to us, St. Baldrick’s! If you haven’t yet had a chance, visit the St. Baldrick’s Website to learn more. You can also find Corey’s name (who is a “shavee” this year) and make a tax deductible donation to help him reach his goal of $1,000 for childhood cancer research.

Where does the money go?

St. Baldrick’s donors and volunteers made possible over $15 million in funding for childhood cancer research in 2008!* This includes 47 grants, as well as funding for 30 young doctors who will be tomorrow’s top researchers.

* Research grants are focused on finding new and better cures for childhood cancer.
* Infrastructure grants help institutions treat more kids on clinical trials (their best hope for a cure), or provide resources to make more research possible.
* St. Baldrick’s Fellows are new doctors training to specialize in pediatric oncology research, funded for 2-3 years. From 2005 to 2008, 25 St. Baldrick’s Fellows have been funded.
* St. Baldrick’s Scholars are pursuing exciting research, funded for 3 years or more. Because grant funds are so scarce, it is difficult for those early in their careers to compete with more established researchers. These grants keep new researchers focused on childhood cancer.
* Multi-institution grants include the cooperative research and laboratories of the 200-member Children’s Oncology Group, as well as consortiums of institutions working on pediatric brain tumors, neuroblastoma, and bone marrow transplants for childhood cancer patients.
* Foreign beneficiaries receive funds raised by St. Baldrick’s events held in their countries.

3 Little Monkeys

02/06/2009 08:39

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Heat Wave

02/03/2009 03:31

We had a bit of a warm up on Monday, I think the high was almost 32! So, I took the kids out to play in the driveway.

They’re just SOOOOOOO cute!!!!

This is Cate and “Bustard”. Bustard is probably the closest thing my kids will ever get to a real pet. Cate takes good care of him when they are outside.
On that note, I think Cate might also have her first imaginary friend: “Ah”. She says her friend, Ah, “lives in France but likes to visit some times”. She and Cate “like to go to New York City together”. :0) So funny!

Riding off in the sunset…see you next sunny day, Bustard.

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Friday, January 30th, 2009

What’s Cookin’ ?

01/30/2009 02:39

My girls love to help out in the kitchen!

Anna is always watching her big sister, doing everything she does.

Green sprinkles make everything taste better, right?

Do your kids…

01/28/2009 09:36

…drink hot coco from a sippy and eat marshmallows with a fork?

Buuuurrrrrrrrrr…….

The Millers

01/25/2009 01:42

We had a delightful weekend with our friends, Abby and Matt. They drove up from Cincinnati for a weekend of museum going, relaxing, lots of playing, good food, and even a little trip to Bombay. We are so thankful to have such great friends.

It was a “great day to be a Panther”.

Hey…our camera has a timer!

Letter Writing

01/23/2009 12:20

Cate is getting so good at writing her letters, and she loves to practice!

Inauguration Day

01/20/2009 08:44

What an awesome experience to witness history being made today. I don’t know if our girls will remember this day in history, but I hope the lessons of hope, courage, equality, and hard work will always be with them.

It’s cold here…

01/18/2009 09:30

It’s been really cold here…we’ve been playing inside…A LOT!!!

Art by Cate

The number puzzle put together by Cate…

…and destroyed by Anna.

St. Baldricks

01/18/2009 01:28

I know it’s only January, but St. Baldrick’s preparations are already in full swing! If you live in the Canton area, the official St. Baldrick’s event is set for Sunday, March 15 at the Winking Lizard Tavern. Mark you calendars NOW and plan to attend this fun event!! Corey and I are both involved this year; Corey as a shavee and me as a treasurer/volunteer. My brother, Jake, will also be shaving again this year. This is such a GREAT event that we are so honored to be a part of.

Did you know…
The St. Baldrick’s Foundation coordinates worldwide head-shaving events that raise money to support childhood cancer research.

Worldwide, 160,000 kids are diagnosed with cancer each year.

Check out the

St. Baldrick’s website for more information and to make a donation.

Cutie

01/16/2009 01:40

Anna’s cuteness simply can’t be explained. She is such a little sweetie, and a little stinker too. She is talking so much now and understands everything you say to her. She likes singing too. These videos aren’t great, but they give you a small glimpse of how cute she is.

Snow!

01/10/2009 01:28

I have said before, one of the best perks of being a parent is getting to do “kid stuff” again. :0) Today, we played in the snow!!

New Year’s Eve

01/07/2009 10:07

Our New Year’s Eve was the perfect mix of fun with the kids and “adult time”. Our good friends, the Petty’s, joined us for the big night. Our party lasted late into the night and even into the next morning. I guess you could say that we partied like it was 1999.

Classic.

Cheers to a Happy, Healthy and Fun 2009!

(Thanks to my hubby for making the pictures bigger! Isn’t it great? And thanks for that lovely picture of me too.)

Funny Story

01/06/2009 03:42

Yesterday, I was changing the sheets on Mia’s bed while Cate, Anna and Mia played in Cate’s room. I noticed that it was quiet (always the first sign that something is going on) and then I heard Cate and Mia giggle. Then, silence again, and more giggling. This time I heard Anna join in. Again, silence. Then, laughter. Silence. All 3 girls really really laughing.

Finally, I decided to go in and see what was going on. I walked in to see Mia sitting on the bed and Cate and Anna sitting in the chair. Cate had my squirt bottle in her hand and Anna’s hair was SOAKING WET. It was hilarious. It was so funny, that I just had to join in the laughter.

Nice Year Blogging

01/05/2009 10:13

I just wanted to give Jaime a hand for doing such a great job blogging this year, and she’s pretty damn cute too!
Corey

Christmas ‘08

01/03/2009 09:10

Happy New Year! Here are our Christmas pictures…

My parents have done a good job carrying on the Christmas Eve traditions that I knew as a child. We all gather at their house on Christmas Eve, all are welcome. We eat, drink and enjoy each other.

And then…we open presents.