Easter 2008

What a wonderful way to end our Forever Family weekend! Sunday started with an Easter egg and basket hunt at our house, followed by Easter Mass with Grandma and Papa Kramer. Lunch at the Kramers was filled with love and laughter. The girls loved the Easter egg hunt! Dinner with Grandma & Papa Gaylord, Uncle Chris and Aunt Julie was a great way to end the day! And did I mention another Easter egg hunt!!!


Easter 2008

Forever Family Day

Wow! What a celebration packed weekend! We had lots to celebrate with Gotcha Day and Easter all in one weekend.

We planned a special dinner for Isabella on Friday to celebrate the end of her second year with us. She's learned so much the past two years that we wanted to make sure we could reflect on the awesome gift we've received - her.

So Kevin, Isabella, Grandmas Sue and Mary and Papas Al and Steve and I all went to dinner at Dontino's - our family's favorite Italian spot (Kevin and I had our wedding rehearsal dinner there.).

After dinner we went back to our house for what else, but Dairy Queen ice cream cake and a few small presents to spoil the princess with.

I'll fill you in on the rest of the weekend later - now it's off to rest because I'm sick yet again. Isabella is finally getting over her double ear infection and bladder infection so of course I get strep throat. Ugh!

The night before

Two years ago tonight, Kevin and I didn't get much sleep. The minutes couldn't click by fast enough. We walked around our house knowing tomorrow would change everything.

We would be meeting our daughter, in person, for the very first time in less than 24 hours. Not to leave and return months later, but to bring her home - forever!

These two years have FLOWN by! We've lived so much joy because this little lady joined our lives. We've made forever friends who love their own Guat-tots. We've shared our love with a child who may not have had a home.

As Kevin and I reflect on what tonight means to us, please say a prayer as we celebrate tomorrow - two years as our forever family!

Guatemala Group Easter Party

What a great morning!

We joined 11 other families with beautiful Guatemalan kids for "Breakfast with the Easter Bunny" at Quail Hollow State Park in Hartville.

We enjoyed cinnamon french toast stick and sausage, fruit cups and tea while Mr. Bunny wandered the room to visit with the kids. Isabella went right up to him, shook his hand, shared her cookies and posed for a nice photo.

After breakfast, we headed outside for an egg hunt. The weather cooperated - not too cold or snowy/muddy. Then we visited the nature center and saw hawks and owls and lots of snakes.

"Smile for Daddy!"

"Smile for Mommy!"

"This is good sausage. I hope everyone else is enjoying breakfast."

"Hi, Mr. Bunny."

"Would you like one of my cookies?"

"Hoppy Easter!"

Time for the hunt. Wait....

Go!

"I'm getting the eggs!"

"Mom says I should share with the babies."

"Check out this hawk!"

"Can I touch it?"

"This is really soft."

Our Family

Here's a great shot of the family at the shoe show. Kevin is still getting a lot of compliments on the event. Collectors from other states have contacted him to talk about how they can host similar events.

Snow AND Spring Ahead

Nearly two feet of snow and the loss of an hour's sleep in the same weekend!

What have we done to deserve this?!!!!!

For those of you who have been basking in the warmth of the sun or who have been living under a rock the past week, Ohio and the Great Lakes were slammed with a snow storm this weekend.

It started around 11 a.m. Friday. I know this because I was co-chair of a conference - YouToo: Social Media Boot Camp and Leadership Summit - that expected out-of-town presenters for afternoon sessions. I sat with the other co-chair and made phone calls to confirm the sessions at this time - watching the snow flakes turn into drifts and piles faster than the trucks could salt and plow.

That was just the beginning, though. By this morning, mother nature had dropped nearly two feet of the white stuff, shutting down Akron and the surrounding areas. I mean everything was closed, even McDonald's.

Kevin cleared our driveway and four of our neighbor's drives five times by this morning. That's in two days! Thank goodness for the snow blower.

So with no falling snow today, we began to dig out and stock up. And so did everyone else. The stores were packed, the gas stations backed up, restaurants overflowing. We were all tired of being inside, and we are all out of whack with the later daylight!

From Isabella - "Bedtime when it's light out? Why, Mommy?"

Success!

Congrats to Kevin for his job well done at this weekend's Cleveland's Got Sole Sneaker Showcase. More than 200 people attended the show with 30 table displays and more than 30 volunteers. At $5 for admission and raffle tickets, he helped raise more than $2,400 for charity. Everyone was very impressed. I'll post a lot of pics later this week, but here's a sneak peek!

Bella and Her Daddy

"Where's my daddy?" is the first question Isabella asks me every morning when she wakes up. She knows he's at work, but she has to ask the question anyways. Weekends really throw her, though, because her daddy gets her up. "Why you not at work daddy?" is her question. "Because I stayed home to be with you, my Bella," he says!

Check out these pics of Bella with her daddy.

That's Our Bella

Just a few pics of our crazy girl, being, yep, crazy! (And check out how much she's gumming her tongue. She's finally getting some big girl teeth.)

Pump It Up

Back in November - yes, that's how behind I am - we celebrated cousin Kelsey’s birthday at Pump It Up. The kids had a blast running around and jumping on all the huge inflatables. And the dads had a great time fighting each other in the enclosed Bouncer. The party was great!

We're Back!

Everyone is feeling much better! Super huge thanks to my mom and dad for watching "us" as I mended. And now, finally, some pictures!

Isabella loves animals. So for Christmas, her Aunt TT and Uncle Keith brought her the movie, The Jungle Book. She dances to the songs and especially loves the scenes with the elephants.

Her Grandma Sue and Papa Al got her a book about The Jungle Book with felt figures so she could tell the story herself. It' a wonderful, educational toy that she loves to play with. She makes up her own version of the story and plays with the felt board as she talks about the adventures of the characters.

I encourage every parent to purchase these kinds of toys for their children. Not only does the felt book get her away from the beloved television version of The Jungle Book, but it also encourages her to talk as she tells her story in her ever-developing vocabulary.

"I think The Jungle Book and The Lion King characters should all play together."

"Mom, can I stay up late and play?"

"Can I see through all this hair?"

Cleveland's Got Sole

Many of you know that Kevin is a shoe collector. He collects rare Nikes and Player Edition shoes wore by players, mostly Lebron James. Some of these shoes are worth more than $1,000 a pair since only a few exist in the world.

Well, he's taking his love for shoes and turning it into a sneaker expo to benefit charity.

Cleveland's Got Sole Sneaker Show will raise money for the Finish Line Youth Foundation which funds Cleveland-area athletic programs. The show will feature collectors' displays of rare shoes. The show will also have a raffle to win game-worn shoes from Cleveland Browns' players Josh Cribbs and Braylon Edwards and some rare Lebron shoes that collector's want to get their hands on. Raffle tickets are only $5 each (these shoes are worth upwards of $500-$750 each).

If you'd like to a donation, send a check payable to Finish Line Youth Foundation to our home. Kevin has worked really hard to pull this event together. I can't wait to seeke the finished project. It will be impressive!