Dancing Caroline

I told my mom on the phone a couple of nights ago that Caroline was dancing, so I wanted to post a video for her. Caroline is very proud that she can now 'twirl' just like her sister (though a card gets her totally distracted mid-dance!) I apologize in advance for the singing!

Off to Iraq (again!)

My older brother, Matt (older by only 8 months!) is being re-deployed to Iraq today. He was over there several years ago, and is going back for approximately 12 months. Please keep him, along with his wife, Jackie, and 15-month-old, Ava, in your prayers. Please pray for his safety and strength. Please pray that Jackie will have an abundance of patience and strength during this time. Thanks so much, and (at the risk of sounding corny...) God Bless America!

Happy Halloween, Biscuit!

As I mentioned in the previous post, my parents sent the girls a Halloween package which included the book, Happy Halloween, Biscuit. As is typical of all 2-year-olds, we have read that book repeatedly, probably 100-reads-per-day. Yesterday, Aly announced all day long to anyone in earshot, "Happy Halloween Biscuit!" I'm not sure if she thinks that this is the actual name of the 'holiday' or not! As we were telling Chad about the night this morning, I asked Aly, "When you walked up to somebody's door, what would you say?" (meaning 'trick-or-treat') and she responded with "I said, 'thank you'." Ahh--maybe repetition does pay off!

As for the basketball front, we lost in a very close game on Thursday night, but then had a BIG win last night. That shouldn't matter, but it's made our weekend a little happier! Nothing like sports to bring out the best in us all...

Here are a few pictures from last night. I'm not sure if we are EVER going to get a good picture of both girls together...I may have to start cutting and pasting! Regardless, we hope that you all had a very 'Happy Halloween Biscuit'

Are we having fun yet?

My sweet Bug, Caroline

Aly and BFF, Lizzy

Star-Gazing

Countdown...

It seems like the weeks are absolutely zipping by! The main countdowns in our household are are coming to an end: the first basketball game is TONIGHT and Halloween is TOMORROW! I've got a babysitter for the first game so that I can actually watch, and then all eyes are on the 31st! My parents sent the girls the book, Happy Halloween, Biscuit and now Aly is all about dressing up and trick-or-treating! More pictures to come...

Chad and the girls

Happy Boo to You!

Caroline working on walking and shopping

Aly and her friends (how we found her yesterday morning!)

Let's Hear it for the Boys!

I mentioned in an earlier post that the "basketball boys" had been over for dinner and witnessed Aly praying. I wanted to go ahead and post a few pictures of the girls entertaining the boys-- just as a way of documenting-- so that years from now I can look back and realize that it wasn't t.v., music, school, friends, or magazines that made our girls boy-crazy...it was US, and the company we keep!! The video that follows is Aly at Chad's first scrimmage last Tuesday. She went crazy cheering for the apple-of-her-eye, Tomas. How will we explain to her that Tomas is returning to Lithuania at the end of the year? I guess that's what recruiting is for! (The true apple of Aly's eye is and always will be Chad, by the way; while the teams were warming up and Chad was on the court, she kept yelling, "Look at me, Daddy, right now! Look at ME!!")

Pumpkin Patch Kids

We just can't seem to get enough Fall around here! We went to a pumpkin patch last week with some friends, and just loved it. There were hay mazes, hay rides, a petting zoo, and (of course!) pumpkins! I hope their memories of this season are as sweet as mine have always been!

Never 2 smiles in one picture!

Aly looking at a BIG turkey

On the hayride

Caroline's "Bulldog Face"

God, Our Father

Here is Aly praying at breakfast (just ignore the post-nasal-drip!) We had the team over for dinner on Friday night, and the guys were so sweet to listen and applaud her praying...to which she tried for a few encores!