A Weekend of Anniversaries....

Today, Tony and I are celebrating 12 wonderful years or marriage. The Lord has really blessed our marriage and we have so much to be thankful for. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful husband and father to our children. We have had such an amazing journey so far and look forward to the years ahead of us. Thank you Tony for making me the happiest wife! I LOVE YOU!!!!We had a fun day as a family celebrating Tony and I's marriage. After a great sermon at church we enjoyed lunch at Jason's Deli. Then, we came home for a nice relaxing afternoon reading and resting together and then headed out as a family to Aye Mount in Hillsborough to walk/run. And then we headed down to Burlington to Olive Garden (one of my faves) and then to the Great American Cookie Company to pick up a cookie cake (another one of my faves). Tony actually proposed to me with a Great American Cookie Cake that said, "Will You Marry Me." The girls enjoyed hearing about how Tony proposed to me and then we were all craving a cookie cake. So, we got a yummy cookie cake to share together. This was the only Anniversary cake they had (did not really care for the picture but had lots of icing so we got it).

Tony and I will celebrate (w/o kids) next weekend. Our friends are keeping our girls overnight and we are going to dinner and a comedy show at the Durham Performing Arts Center. One of our favorite comedians, Brian Regan, is on tour with his new comedy act. We saw him a few years ago at a Chick-fil-A seminar and he is hilarious. So, we are looking forward to next weekend.

This weekend we also enjoyed celebrating Trinity School's 15th Anniversary. The school had a school wide Fall Fun night to celebrate. They girls enjoyed face painting (Regan was a Lion, Riley was a Tiger and Reece was a cat), fossil digging, a Cake Walk, inflatable slide, and watching our talented friend juggle knives, fire torches, tennis rackets and more. And of course the girls enjoyed seeing their classmates and teachers too. It was a fun night. They also did a balloon release (some of the Senior Class - this is the first year to have Seniors at Trinity- and other students held 15 balloons in the school colors) and after everyone yelled, "Happy Birthday Trinity" the balloons were released into the sky. The girls enjoyed watching them drift up, up and away!

I did not have my camera at the Trinity Celebration but here is a photo with the girls' faces painted and sporting their Trinity Anniversary shirts.

Reece Starts School....

Reece started preschool this week at St. Luke's Preschool. Wednesday, Sept. 9 we had "Meet the Teacher Day." Tony and I went with Reece to meet her teachers, Mrs. Sharon and Mrs. Stathelson. Reece ended up being very shy and apprehensive that day. She stayed very close to Tony and I. I think Reece envisioned being in the same classroom and having the same teachers as Riley had last year. So, when we got there and she realized we were going to a different room, with different teachers, and no children she knew she was not happy. I was worried about how the first day of school on Thursday would go but she did great. She was very excited and did not even want to hug me goodbye or even pose for a photo. She walked straight into her room and did not turn back. Her teacher said she had a great first day. When Reece woke up Friday she said, "Am I going to school today?!" She was not happy to hear that she had to wait until Monday. Reece playing with playdough at "Meet the Teacher Day."

Reece likes this cash register

This is Reece's favorite place in the classroom - the class kitchen. The teacher said she spent all of playtime the first day of school in the kitchen.

Reece with one of her classmates, Kate, on the giant slide

St. Luke's has new glider swings - very neat.

Reece's first day of preschoolReece is very excited to finally start school!

Off we go to school...

Reece in front of her class - she was ready to go play and did not want to pose for a photo. I did not even get a goodbye hug because she was off and running for the classroom kitchen. I guess this is a good problem to have since she was apprehensive at "Meet the Teacher Day."