Pictures

So - now that Blogger has redeemed itself, here are the pictures I wanted to post yesterday.

This is Finley, Cainan, and Arlington at the Coast Guard Academy where the Kumon ceremony was:

 Cainan waiting his turn for the ceremony:

 Cainan's name on the screen:

 Cainan and his teacher, Seema.  Cainan got a ribbon for math and reading:

 Arlington's name on the chart for the second graders:

 Arlington and her teacher Seema.  Arlington got trophies in reading and Math:

 After the ceremony we took pictures at the Coast Guard:

 My grandparents Appolonia with the kids:

 My parents and grandparents with the kids:

 My parents on their 40th wedding anniversary:

 My grandparents who will soon be celebrating their 65th wedding anniversary:

 The grandparents and great grandparents with the kids:

 The grandparents with the kids.  They were starting to get punchy:

 Trying to take our family.  Finley was not pleased to be sitting up there:

 My grandparents out to dinner:

 The yummy smores cupcakes made by my friend Heather Capo:

 Yummy Carmel Apple cupcakes:

I'm Back!

 Did you miss me?  I am sure you did.  This post doesn't have any pictures, and it isn't my fault.  I will post every weekend picture tomorrow.  Blogger is doing maintenance and said I can't upload pictures.  Isn't that lovely.

This weekend was a complete blur.  Mat and I wrapped up a few more projects on the house so that it can be listed this week.  We are shooting for Wednesday to have the house officially placed on the market.  Hopefully everything will fall in place and that will happen.  We are anxious to get it on the market and hopefully find that special buyer that will love it as much as we do.

Saturday, after the kids activities, Mat and I went to see one final house in Massachusetts that we wanted to look at.  And low and behold, it was "the one".  We were really excited about it.  After seeing nearly 30 houses, we have found our house.  On Saturday night we placed a bid, and by Sunday night, the house was ours.  We are so excited and can't wait to move in.  We won't be closing until August 1st, but we will be going up for inspections shortly, so I will take some pictures to share.  It is a great house, in a great neighborhood, so we are excited to get in and make it our own.

Saturday evening was the annual ceremony for Kumon where Arlington and Cainan attend for enrichment classes.  This will be there last month in these classes with us moving.  It is amazing to see how far they have come.  Arlington is on a 4th grade level in reading and math and Cainan is right where he needs to be for Kindergarten.  We have loved the program, and hope to keep at least Cainan in it when we move.  It has really helped him most of all get past some of his learning stumbling blocks that he has.  After the ceremony, we went out to dinner to celebrate their accomplishments this year.

Sunday was my parents 40th wedding anniversary.  We went out to dinner and then a friend of mine - Heather Capo - made the most delicious cupcakes for us to have for dessert.  They were the BEST.  If you know Heather, or live around or near the Connellsville/Greensburg PA area, you need to contact her.  They were delicious.

Mat and I are tired.  Really bone tired.  And we are just at the beginning.  Now that we have purchased a house, we need to fit in inspections, and paperwork.  And our house being listed means that our house has inspections, appraisals, moving company quotes, etc. lined up.  We have completed many things, but we are still in the mist of trying to get everything done in our very tight timeline.

What makes it even harder is that Mat has already started working in Boston.  He is there two full days a week.  He has to leave at 5am on those days and doesn't get home until around 8pm.  Long days for him.  Long days for all of us since I need to get the kids everywhere they need to be.  And he is working there on Monday and Thursdays - the ONLY two days a week that are the hardest because of kid's activities.  Monday - Karate.  Thursday - Kumon and horseback.  So......you know.  A lot of juggling.

We see the light at the end of the tunnel.  I have 11 more school days and Arlington has 13.  Things are winding down.  By the time school ends, the house will be on the market, we will be done with inspections and just in a "Waiting" period for our house in Massachusetts.  And so the month of July might actually be relaxing.  Maybe.  Doubtful.

Another weekend off

I know, I know.  I am starting to lose my steam. 

We have a busy weekend, and we have company.  House hunting continues.

5

Today - the young man in our house turns 5.

5!  Where did the time go?  Wasn't he just a little baby?  With a cleft smile, and chubby little legs he didn't even walk when he came home to us at 14 months.  Nor did he crawl.

But within a few weeks, he was mobile and keeping up with his sisters.  He quickly grew, and started to talk.

And now, here we are.  On his 5th birthday.  4 years after he became part of our family.  I cannot believe how much he has changed.

From a little baby who had never played with toys before, to a boy who knows exactly what he likes and what he doesn't like.

From a baby that didn't say any words, or may any sounds, to a boy who talks non-stop.

This last year, we have seen the most change in him yet.  He asks more questions.  He pretend plays.  He lets his sisters know when he doesn't like something.

He is silly, and fun, and all boy.  I have never seen someone run as much as he does.

He jumps out of the tub and will say "I am Batman" just about every night.  Super heroes are his favorite thing.

Next to Toy Story.

He can eat anyone under the table.  I have never seen such a small person eat so much.

He is funny, smart, kind, sweet, and joyful.

He is eager to please, and doesn't like to cause trouble.

It has been amazing watching him grow, and we are so lucky to be his parents.

We love you Cainan.  We can't imagine life without you.

A Special Day

Today marks a special day in our family.

4 years ago today, Mat and I got the call that gave us a son.  June 1st, 2007, we found out that Cainan would be ours forever.

Many of you know his back story with our family.  That is was a long shot that the child we wanted to desparately would be ours.

But on June 1st, in the middle of the afternoon, the phone rang, and our agency said to me, "are you sitting down?  We have your son's file".

It was a great moment.  We found out that Cainan would be turning one the very next day.  And even though we couldn't be with him, we quietly celebrated our boy having his first birthday.

Here we are - 4 years later.  Woken this morning by a young boy - not a baby.  A little boy who said "tomorrow I will be 5!"  about 1 million times in a row to anyone who would listen.

Today he spent his last day as a 4 year old.  As a "baby" as he likes to tell me.  Tomorrow - he becomes old enough to go to Kindergarten on the school bus.

Sob.