We're back!

It may have taken me several months, but I am not giving up on the blog! I have been taking post master's classes online to keep my teaching certificate current, so I have less time than at night to update the blog! We are still not using our regular camera, but at least we have our iphones.

We have had a great winter. Ailey had the chance to go skiing two times this year and loved it! They girls also loved sledding, the one time we went. It has been a warm winter and was especially warm for us because we spent February in Florida with Yia Yia and Papou. The girls had a fantastic time with my parents and their cousins in Florida. Ailey can swim in the shallow end without a life jacket and Kristiana has taken over the "puddle jumper" floaties and is doing an amazing job.

Ailey continues to keep us laughing. She is working hard at school and is starting to actually read books. It is so exciting to hear her sound out words! She learned how to pump her legs on a swing and would spend all her time outside on the swings if she could. She loves taking her care of her little sister (and bossing her around a little).

Kristiana is still very sweet, for the most part. She has been a little spunky lately, but she is still our cuddly, little one. She is now sleeping in a big girl bed and is going on the potty, most of the time. She loves to learn from Ailey and tries to do everything Ailey does.

Koda has had a rough winter. He broke his toe/foot while we were in Florida and has suffered one skin infection/sore after another. He was in a huge cone for a month and a splint and he is now in a small bandage. It has been a rough spot for all of us!!! Hopefully he is on the mend.

Here are some picture, to help document this winter. Everyday I am amazed at how the girls are growing and I am so grateful for this time. They are at such amazing ages and I only wish I could capture in pictures how happy they make us.

Disney Cruise!!!!!

In early December Blake decided to resign from Comerica and take a new job with PNC bank. It is a great opportunity! Even though he looks like he is eighteen, they made him a Senior Vice President, hooray for Blake! He worked so hard at Comerica for eight and a half years and I know he will give so much to PNC.

He had two weeks off until starting at PNC so we decided to take a last minute vacation, in the middle of the Christmas season! It was crazy, but so worth it. I think I have decided that our last minute vacations always turn out for the best and that I need to appreciate my husband's spontaneity.

We went to Orlando for two nights and stayed at an amazing resort called the Gaylord Palms. It was a Christmas wonderland! We then drove to Port Canaveral where we boarded the Disney Dream, and it was just that, a Dream. It was our first cruise and I will never forget how amazed I was at the beauty of the ship. From amazing restaurants, nighttime Broadway shows, princess gatherings, to a spectacular kids zone, the ship was AMAZING! Our favorite day was on the private Disney Island, Cast Away Cay. Blake and I had massages in a beach front cabana while the kids played in their own kids clubs. We spent the rest of the day playing in the beautiful ocean water. It was truly a perfect day! The weather on the other days wasn't great, but at least it didn't rain :)

One of the best moments was the Princess Gathering where Ailey and Kristiana met five princess. It was so fabulous to see their little faces light up and is something I will never forget! This vacation was one that Blake and I (and hopefully the girls) will treasure forever. It was truly magical!

Gobble Gobble

Thanksgiving was wonderful this year. The week before Thanksgiving we were treated to an amazing black tie event at Ford Field called the Hob Nobble Gobble. It was spectacular! The pictures are all from our phone, so not the best, but there was an entire carnival inside! I have never seen anything like it and will never forget it!

We celebrated Thanksgiving at Nana and Papa's house with Aunt Christa, Uncle Bryce, Baby Caden, Yia Yia and Papou and Nana's special aunt and uncle. The girls had SO much fun with Caden. We love him soooooo much!

Happy Birthday Kristiana!

It is hard to believe that we have been blessed with our sweet Kristiana for two years. She turned two on November 12th. We decided to have an old fashioned Greek birthday party so our house was filled with cousins, aunts, uncles, godparents and grandparents.

Blake had been working on updating our kitchen and most of our kitchen was still in the dining room at midnight before the party. However, in true Blake and Paula fashion, we just barely pulled it off. Kristiana was so happy, as was Ailey!

Kristiana carefully opened her presents and wanted to play with each one before she opened another. She charmed everyone with her sweet voice, amazing vocabulary, and loving demeanor. She is really a special little person with such a kind heart. We are so proud of the little person she is becoming and appreciate so much that she keeps us smiling everyday.

Halloween!

I'm obviously a little behind on the blog, once again. We had a fun filled October! Our first costume debut was at the Zoo Boo. Ailey wore her Cinderella bride costume and Kristiana was a little piggie. The next weekend we had "Trunk or Treat" at Ailey's school. We decorated the trunk and the kids loved running around the parking lot trick or treating at all the cars. Then, we had a Halloween party at our house with sixteen of Ailey and Kristiana's friends.

Finally, it was Halloween and we had another great night! We had our popcorn machine going and passed out full size candy bars and "drinks" for the parents. The word on the street was that we were the coolest house on the block!

Fall Fun!

We took a chair lift ride at Nubs Nob up to the top of the ski hill and walked down, the girls probably needed sunglasses for this picture :)

Kristiana took pumpkin painting very seriously!
The girls sitting on the green of Little Traverse Golf course at sunset.

Two blog post in a week, amazing! It may be a while until I post again, but I wanted to put up some pictures from our fabulous fall weekend in Harbor Springs.

The forgotten blog!!!

Ailey's first day!

Kristiana picking raspberries!


A boat ride with Uncle Bryce, Aunt Christa and cutie pie Caden!

More friends visit!
Camp Cousins weekend, notice Koda is in the picture too!
Ice cream!
Traverse City Triathlon
Playhouse fun!
The Heneghan family comes to visit!
Happy Birthday Ailey!

It seems as though I have forgotten about the blog, or perhaps just neglected it immensely! We had a fantastic, but very busy summer. In June Ailey and I cut off 8 inches of our hair and donated it to the Pantene Beautiful locks campaign, which makes free wigs for cancer patients.

We are loving the ease of shorter hair!

Blake raced in seven triathlons this summer and I participated in my first two. Blake finished third overall in the Olympic triathlon in Tawas and finished first in his age group in every other race, he is amazing! I had some bike issues in both races, but felt a great sense of accomplishment and felt like an athlete for the first time in my life!

The girls are growing and growing! Ailey celebrated her fourth birthday on July 10th. We had a party with her friends before we left and had a fun dinner at the cottage with the grandparents on her real birthday.

We spent all of July and August in Traverse City at the cottage, and had three trips to Harbor Springs. Georgea, Dennis and the girls were there for most of the summer so it was crazy, but so much fun! It had been a full year since we had seen my sister and the girls! We also had many great weekends with friends and family that came to visit!

We also had a fabulous time when Uncle Bryce, Aunt Christa and Baby Caden in Harbor Springs! The girls love their cousin sooooo much!

Ailey has become a terrific swimmer and Kristiana is talking in full sentences and says just about everything! Koda loved his time at the lake! I think we wore Yia Yia and Papou out, but we feel so blessed to have had time together.

In September Ailey started four year old preschool three days a week and she is loving it. She also started Sunday school. We can't believe how mature she seems. She is starting to write more words and it "trying" to read :)