Flashback Friday

Tonight we treated ourselves to supper at Pizza Hut.  We've never been to Pizza Hut as a family of four, but the girls wanted to cash in on their Book It! coupons and I was grateful for a culinary vacation.

Consuming nearly half of the dining area was a birthday celebration for one lucky girl's sweet sixteen.  Of course the girls wanted to attend.  As we sat in our booth watching the party unfold around us, it brought back giggles & belly laughs as we recalled another birthday party crash from days gone by....

It was about two years ago.  Geoff took the girls on one of their Daddy Days Out for an afternoon of play at The Magic Castle.  A popular birthday destination for young ones, it's common to get mixed up with party-goes on weekend trips to the MC.  On this particular trip, Abby was feeling especially celebratory and doing as Abby does, she quickly made friends.  Having lost track of his oldest daughter, Geoff scanned the giant play land only to find her smack in the middle of a birthday party photo op.  The crowd of picture-takers had no problem with the stand-out snuggling up with her arm around her new BFF and, in fact, insisted it was fine that she be in the picture.

I'm sorry I don't have a copy of that photograph, although the story itself is probably just as good without it.  And yet I wonder.... somewhere, in some Indian family's collection of pictures is a birthday party picture of their daughter and all of her friends.  And Abby, the token white kid.  I can just imagine the look on her face.  I'm sure she had no idea.

Flashback Friday

My Lauren is never more comfortable than when her hands are behind her head.

I love my Tiny.

March 9, 2007

Flashback Friday

When all our baby had was her two front teeth....

August 23, 2005

 

Flashback Friday

September 13, 2006

It's hard to believe there was a time when my Tiny was mosquito bite free, wore a hat and stayed so still.

Flashback Friday

It's pretty much a right of passage at one point in time to be weighed by the fish scale.

June 3, 2007

 {Papa Puts Tiny in the Sack}

 

{Great Grandpa Guesses Her Weight}

{The Verdict: 20½ lbs.}

{Time to Unwrap His Birthday Present}

Grandpa, the cabin isn't the same without you.

Flashback Friday

Probably my favorite picture from our first trip to Washington.

June 27, 2009

These shaky little buns sure are going to miss Washington.

Until next year....

Flashback Friday

This is our third annual voyage to Washington for a super-summer visit with our family here in the valley.  Today we flash back to our first trip; our first visit to the pool in the mountains.

June 26, 2009

 

{Brooke & Abby do Gymnastics in the Pool}

 

{Lauren & Heidi Soak Up the Sun}

{Basking in the Mountains}

Flashback Friday

Today we make our third annual invasion of Washington to see Grandma Phillips & company.  So it is only fitting that we flash back to our first trip to the Pacific Northwest....

June & July 2009

Look out, Grandma.... Here we come!

Flashback Friday

Ten years ago I married my best friend.  Geoff, without you I truly wouldn't be the person I am today.  The adventures I've been on, the places I've seen, the people I've met....

It hasn't always been happy, but without being in some of the less-desirable places we wouldn't be as sure of ourselves and what suits us.  All-in-all it's been quite an adventure these last ten years.

We were such kids.  It's amazing how far we've come.

June 16, 2001

 I look forward to seeing where the next ten years takes us.

I love you, Geoff!

Flashback Friday

Ahhh, yes.  The day Jack arrived at Grandma & Papa's and Lauren discovered she wasn't the baby around here anymore.  So many great memories in these pics.... the old TV Guide, Abby & Grandma's golf balls, Abby's hats, Lauren's need to get into that car seat, and finally a healthy Baby Jack!

July 14, 2007

 

Flashback Friday

Today's the day.... Lauren's last day of preschool.  Yikes!  Where did this school year go?

It's hard to believe just a few short years ago my well-behaved school girl spent more time decorating her face than she did any other medium.

November 11, 2007

Flashback Friday

Some things I just miss.  Abby sucking her thumb, Lauren's over-sized chubbies....

November 2, 2006

Flashback Friday

Today Lauren imitated a project they did at preschool where they drew an outline of their bodies.  Only today she did it with her rocket blanket....

Present Day

This Friday we flash back through the archives in search for some of the earliest evidence of Lauren and her Rock.

September 9, 2008

Flashback Friday

In honour of today's royal wedding, we flash back to the first time the girls got dressed up in wedding gowns of their own.

January 2009

{Lauren Rocks Her Wedding Dress}

{Abby's All-a-Flutter Gown}

{Style Sister}

Flashback Friday

Grandma & Papa are coming for a visit over Easter.... This Friday we flash back to their first trip to see the newest member of our family, our little Tiny.  We're no longer living in Florida, and she is no longer that tiny, but it's always fun to remember visits with our grandparents!

April/May 2006

{Grandma Admires Those Chubbies}

{Papa Snuggles with the Chubbies}

{Papa, Grandma, Abby & Lauren}

Flashback Friday

Today I had the privilege of accompanying Abby's kindergarten class to the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery on their class field trip.  Today's Flashback Friday is a pairing of Abby's first trip to the museum and the latest....

November 8, 2008

and

April 15, 2011

{Heading to Boonshoft with Daddy}

{Field Trip to Boonshoft with Kindergartners}

{Abby Runs the Excavator}

{Abby Runs the Excavator}

{Exploring the Water Table}

{Mixing Water Colors at a Learning Table}

{Abby on the Upper Deck}

{Abby on the Upper Deck}

{Abby Heads Home}

{Abby Heads Home}

Flashback Friday

Last year we were lucky enough to celebrate Lauren's birthday with Grandpa.  For his 76th birthday she was his present.  What a present it was to celebrate his last birthday together.

Months after this picture was taken Lauren confessed she was mad at Great Grandpa because his cake was bigger than hers.  I don't know if she'll ever quite get over that, but it makes for a great picture I'll always treasure.

April 4, 2010

{Easter Egg Hunt}

Flashback Friday

In light of Abby's recent attitude impairment and questions about sex organs, I decided to flashback to a time when everyone remarked about how I had the perfect baby.

She was perfect in every way.  She was healthy.  She was happy wherever she went.  She only cried when she needed something.  And unlike her mother, she didn't even complain about the blistering Florida heat.

It's moments like these I'm glad I took a lot of pictures.

Summer 2005

{Abby & her Daddy at our House in Florida}

Flashback Friday

Yesterday was hat day at Abby's school.  Children who brought in a $1 donation to the relief effort in Japan were allowed to wear a hat of their choosing at school for the day.

Abby's selected this colorful Oshkosh number.  I couldn't help but think of the days of yore when Abby accessorized with hats on a daily basis.  Oh, that Abby.

March 24, 2011

Spring 2005

Flashback Friday

For a few years the mommy guilt would sit in around Christmas when I realized it has been awhile since we got a picture of the girls taken with Santa.

While changing out pictures in one of our frames recently, I found this tucked in the back and am reminded just why we skipped the Santa visits.  Now I smile at this piece of their childhood.... another classic moment with Abby & Lauren.

December 7, 2006

{Melbourne Square Mall/Melbourne, Florida}